Band of Misfits: Taking Flight
by Ipods-and-buds-1239
Summary: A viking teen, longing to be accepted for who he is. A princess from the kingdom of Arendelle, forced to hide her powers. A soon to be queen, unwillingly thrust into marriage. A teenager with over 70 feet of magic hair, permanently grounded, guarded by her best friend, the winter spirit. A thief with nowhere to go. United by unlikely circumstances, what do they all have in common?
1. Chapter 1

**Band of Misfits: Taking flight chapter 1**

**A.N. Well. I know my other readers might hate me because of this. But I plan to write what is really intriguing me. I've wanted to create this for a while, I hope that any new readers will enjoy this. Rest assured, I'm not abandoning my other stories, but this is going to take priority in the sense that its my favorite story at the moment. Green leaf, a friend of mine, will badger me until I update Into The Shadows. I hope you enjoy this, any new readers are welcome, let's kick this off.**

...

This is Berk. It's twelve days north of Hopeless and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery. I live here. My village. In a word, Sturdy. It's been here for seven generations, but every single building is new. We have fishing, hunting, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problem here happens to be the local residents. No, while most places tend to have charming citizens or a coinciding society, we have... vikings.

Now, I understand what your thinking, vikings died out centuries ago, and your not wrong. We have... stubbornness issues. That and our neighbors make for a charming environment that every single civilization on this planet would love to have as a get away spot. The Barbaric Archipelago was not what it once was. We used to be a great nation, spanning every island from Norway to NewFoundland, with hundreds of tribes composing a harmonious blend of raw testosterone and manly vikingness. But alas, it's just us now. We were wiped out by the very people we pillaged, we could be called an endangered species.

We would be gone too, had it not been for the stunning location and the local "pests." You see, most places tend to have mosquitoes and rats and the like, but ours, no; ours is a little bit more problematic and... well, flamey. Dragons, yup, the ones in the story book. They too were driven north by those who wanted us gone, and now it's just us, fighting over every little thing.

Our whole society has long revolved around the massacre of these beasts, with the sword and shield being favored over the mind and pen. So those like me tend to be excluded. Don't get me wrong, I love Berk, it's always been a home, but I'm done living a lie. My friend has made me see this. Who would this friend be? Why none other then Toothless. My dragon, whom I shot down and befriended. Yeah, my whole world is messed up. But I wouldn't change it for the anything, why would you ask?

Because a friend once told me, "Some say our destiny is tied to the land, as much a part of us as we are of it. Others say fate is woven together like a cloth, so that one's destiny intertwines with many others. It's the one thing we search for, or fight to change."

And today, I intend to change my fate. This is my story.

...

The stillness of Ravenspoint always reassured Hiccup. Its towering trees and sweeping gorges left little to reality, it had an almost mystical air to it. It revealed little and hid many, a refuge for a outcast. Hiccups boots sunk into the mud, with its earthen qualities slowly rising to the fur lining. A fierce storm had struck last night, as if a divine force was prohibiting his departure, but the boy would bow to no one today. The days of being a viking would be put behind him, if Hiccup went went through with this, there would be no turning back.

'There's still time. You can return to the life you lead.' A voice whispered in Hiccup's head. It was tempting, in a short period of time, Hiccup had everything he had ever striven for. His peers, once a shunning group of bullies, had accepted him. He had respect from everyone, including the love of someone who should have already given it, his Father. But, oddly enough, Hiccup didn't feel whole. Something nipped away inside, as if a terrible terror was sitting in his chest. He couldn't take it anymore, everything was prepared. Hiccup wouldn't bear this pain any longer.

He was leaving.

The bountiful foliage of the forest betrayed its true nature, a rough, stale soil that would not manage a new plant, save the ones that were already here. This island was dead both figuratively and literally, Hiccup knew every inch of it. In time he would miss its familiarity, but this would not stop his departure.

A crash sounded behind Hiccup, raising a startle from the boy; all was not well in this silent refuge. A curse in Norse only confirmed his thoughts, the source of that noise was not of this forest. With a grimace, Hiccup quickened his pace.

Hiccup sprinted forwards, though his payload was weighing him down. In his bag lay his beloved sketchbook, a couple charcoal writing utensils, his favorite eagle feather, a bottle of squids ink wrestled from the colossal squid from the northern waters, his toolkit composed of a couple hammers and scrap metal, a small amount of food and water, something he would need, and a small sharpening stone. Hiccup also had a change of clothes and a needle with some thread, but not much else. Heading into the unknown with a manly needle and thread, Hiccups father would be proud. A knife sat on his coat, its custom design was practical and lightweight.

And the chest. Probably the heaviest of his supplies, it was odd. Hiccup had received it from Trader Johann, a personal friend and confident. Along with his bottle of squid ink wrestled from the colossal squid of the northern waters, this chest was given to him after he confided in the merchant his decision to leave. "Stoick wanted you to have it when you were older," he had said, "It had something to do with your Mom."

The chest was small, but it weighed quite a large amount. Its lock was without a key, only a master smith could crack it. Something Hiccup happened to be. He swore that when he was able to, he would land and pick the lock, but as of right now, he knew he needed to escape his current predicament.

The crashing grew louder, the curses in Norse ever more apparent and Hiccup could detect a slight feminine pitch. Someone who was not used to this part of the island. Only one person came to mind.

Astrid Hofferson, in all her glory, stumbled down the overgrown path Hiccup had just traversed. She was beautiful in Hiccup's eyes, but he had never considered her shallow demeanor, her unquestioning faith to tradition. A faith is fine, but one should question it to reinforce their knowledge. 'I guess we vikings weren't exactly known for our questioning minds. Stubbornness issues.' Hiccup thought.

Astrid surveyed the land. With a start, realization occurred to Hiccup. 'She was looking for someone,' Hiccup shook his head, 'But who would be out here at this... Oh.' This would complicate things.

Hiccup knew he had to make it to the cove, Astrid would inevitably stumble upon it at any rate. And Toothless. That was not going to happen. Sprinting forwards, it became ever more apparent as to how out of shape the boy was, something he planned to change on his travels. Hiccup had put considerable ground between himself and the scary blonde by the time she spotted him, and that look immediately threw every thought of a peaceful confrontation out the window.

"Hiccup? Hicc- come over here right now!"

This only served to provoke Hiccup. With a start, he continued running through the forest, careful to avoid a footfall. Any hesitation would result in a stall and a confrontation with the murderous shield maiden slowly drawing closer. Nearing the cove with each passing step, Hiccup found a down turned oak, he ran its length and leapt off, performing a roll to break the fall. Astrid was following gamely, but the treacherous landscape was only serving to slow her. Hiccup sighed in relief as he reached the cove entrance, where Toothless resided. Every thought of staying was pushed out of the boys mind. Hiccup slid downwards, looking backwards. In his fear of discovery, he failed to notice the shield wedged in his usual entrance.

BAM!

...

Hiccup awoke to a curious pair of green eyes and an incessant shouting in the distance, calling his name. Immediately, he sat up, but regretted it. There's a reason viking female warriors were known as "shield maidens."

Shaking it off, Hiccup knew every second was a second in Astrid's favor. Adjusting his increasingly cumbersome wicker basket pack, he turned to smack the shield behind him in anger, only to notice that he had knocked it free from its position. On a whim, Hiccup grabbed the shield. Neither the pack nor the shield was ideal for this trip, but it would work. Hiccup picked up his pace, not even pausing to offer Toothless an explanation. He knew the boy was frantic and that something important was about to happen. Finally adjusting his riding gear, the young viking teen snatched the thick black, woolen sweater he had casually snagged from the local seamstress and slipped it on top of his green over-shirt. He didn't want the wandering eye to spot their escape. Attaching the riding pauldrons, the viking straddled Toothless and nudged him.

While that kind of behavior would warrant an immediate slap via the black bat-like ear from Toothless, the Night Fury was feeling especially lenient today, sensing his riders distress. Gracing the area that had spurred a friendship a final, regretful look, the unlikely pair took off. Once they had gained altitude, Hiccup noticed a particular armed viking maiden enter the cove. She slowly turned in a circle, looking for, whatever reason, the boy that infuriated her so. There were traces, but no obvious signs. Finally turning back, she marched out of the cove, never once considering the possibility of looking up.

...

The duo known as Toothless and Hiccup passed over Berk, but they did not linger. Odds would be that the nervous villagers would have their eyes on the sky, fearing a raid of some kind. With all due haste, and a bit of sadness, Hiccup looked back at the place he had called home for over 15 years. Never once did he leave its shores. He would miss few people, that would be certain. Of the true friends he had, only Gobber remained. Trader Johann knew that the pair intended to head south, that much was certain. But where specifically, not even they knew.

...

**A.N. I'll update soon. This story has my full attention and I enjoy its simplicity. Rest assured, I will update my other stories, but this takes priority in the sense that I enjoy writing it the most. Just a foot note, I haven't seen Frozen yet, but I love its characters. Special shout out to my cousin, who's inspired me to write this. I hope she likes it.**

**To clear this up, this story emphasizes the pairings:**

**Hiccup x Elsa**

**Flynn x Rapunzel**

**Please read and review, I enjoy feedback of any and all kinds. I might update tomorrow, as I'm pretty much updating this quickly. I love this story.**

**Thanks for the support, I hope I can write this decently,**

**-Ipods-And-Buds-1239**


	2. Chapter 2

**Band of Misfits: Taking Flight Chapter 2**

**A.N. Wow... My first chapter was full of errors... I released a revised chapter literally an hour after I first posted, sorry you had to see that. Other then that, I hope you enjoy this quick update, I'll add more soon! As per my thing as a writer, I respond to each and every review from my readers individually. Everyone gets their questions answered and their comments commented on. So, let's get started!**

**Reviews:**

**lastkingslall: I'm glad you liked the pun, I was aiming to appease with some comedy!**

**Zephyrus Anemoi Fiction: Let me just start by saying that I'm a big fan of your FrozenxHow to Train your Dragon Crossover, it's an honor to have one of my favorite writers commenting on my fanfiction. Thanks for the attention, I've never been called "Buds" before. I like it, let's just hope people don't confuse it with the alcoholic beverage. As for the Rise of the Brave Tangled Frozen Dragons, pretty much. I'll have a little AU, but it should be within reason. I hope to make it entertaining for everyone.**

**fanfictionmakermachine: Thanks for the review, I've been considering every possibility for this. I enjoy Elsa x Hiccup, so I hope you like this chapter, cheers!**

**As always, thanks for the reviews! Oh, and to be clear, Hiccup and Elsa are the same age in this, and Elsa's parents are not dead. On with the chapter!**

Chapter 2

The lock clicked on the dark, oaken door of Elsa's room. It was a nightly occurrence for the princess, something she had no altercation towards. It would keep that side of her away from her sister. Elsa swore time and time again that no harm would ever result of her powers towards Anna again. She smiled sadly, tapping her window. Small patterns of frost slowly crept across the windowpane, showing a snowman; and the young princess was grievously reminded of her sisters constant eager attitude towards all that froze.

She stood slowly, crossing her arms and watched as the frost crept around the room. While many would consider it witchcraft, Elsa had always thought that her powers, however dangerous they were, could be beautiful. If only she could control them. Elsa strode over to the stairway overlooking the local harbor. Arendelle was a wonderful and prosperous kingdom, her parents were beloved by their citizens and peace reigned over everything. She was beloved. 'If only they knew.' the princess thought.

With an ever saddening and heavy heart, Elsa finally reached the peak of her tower, a small walk around room that had no ceiling. It was originally an observatory, but her parents requisitioned it after discovering their daughters love of the stars. Now it was part of her prison. How painstaking it was, to look freedom in the eye, to reach out and touch it, but to be excluded from it at the same time.

With a sigh, the princess spread her arms out and reclined on her back, looking at the stars. She memorized each and every one of them, as she had nothing better to occupy her time. So she instantly noticed that the stars were fading for a few short seconds, as if something had passed over it. She shook her head, as if imagining it, but it was there, right in front of her.

The fifteen year old was intuitively regarding this odd shape soaring across the sky. It was sleek and streamlined, black judging from it's excellent camouflage, with a broad wingspan. She continued to watch as it made a lazy circle, the shape growing ever larger. Slowly, she realized that it was making its way downwards. Resolving to watch it, she stood to get a better look. Squinting, she noticed that there was someone riding the creature.

Whatever it was, it was coming closer. She realized that the figure was not looking her way, his attention was directed towards the creatures tail, which seemed to be slightly altered. With a start, the creature plummeted, right towards her!

...

"Keep her steady bud!" Hiccup called as he balanced haphazardly on Toothless's back. Something had come unhooked during the flight and it was essential that he fix it. They were flying over unknown territory, which happened to be everywhere, so it was imperative that they lay low. It would be hard to explain who they were, a viking riding a dragon, what with the fact that he was part of the only surviving tribe of his kind and Toothless was... well, Toothless. Yeah, it would be a difficult and interesting conversation, a conversation that Hiccup had every intention of avoiding. With a cry, Toothless began to plummet.

'Brilliant.' Hiccup thought.

The unlikely duo smashed into something, the fine powdery snow that surrounded them was flung into the air and created a beautiful cloud around the pair. Which was odd, considering that the current season happened to be summer. Hiccup rolled off Toothless, only to realize that he had forgotten to detach his safety chord.

Toothless, with an almighty groan, rose from his "excellent" landing and caught his rider dangling helplessly. The Dragon almost seemed to be smirking at the boy. Hiccup finally pulled himself up and unhooked himself, only to see Toothless offering his guttural laugh.

"Oh shut up."

Rising slowly, Hiccup did a turn, surveying his surroundings. Noticing where he was, he immediately cursed.

"Toothless, of all the places we had to crash in, it had to be a castle."

The architecture, the size, the location, it all pointed towards one of the hulking stone fortresses Hiccup had grown accustomed to on his three month journey. They were virtually nonexistent in "that place," but down here, every kingdom had one. In an invasion, even the vikings would have trouble assaulting one of these. They were awe inspiring, the hidden history was twisting Hiccups gut into knots.

And while he would of loved to explore, he instantly knew that this was an inhabited castle. One in which a queen and king lived. With untold riches and valuables. And armed guards with the fire-spitting sticks Hiccup was "lucky" enough to encounter after crashing into a lords hunting party in England. Yup, the sooner he fixed the tail-fin, the better. The viking would prefer to avoid talking to armed guards about his dragon and the fact that he had crashed into a castle. Yeah.

Examining the tail-fin, he cursed. This was not an easy fix. The racket he made would have most likely awoken every person within this section of the castle. Heck, they were probably on their way to his location right now. Pulling off his odd assortment of items, he adjusted his tool belt and immediately set to work. The section of leather that spanned between the tail-fin and stirrup that provided tension, by definition the ability to change the position, had snapped. Hiccup had all the tools necessary for the job, but it would be timely. Apparently, the gods had decided that it would be fun to pick on Hiccup.

Every section of the tail-fin had leather sections that spanned its length. In addition to the main chord, these had snapped as well... Meaning that he had to remove every little sliver and then reattach the entire tension device. Something that would take at least two hours to fix.

Smacking his head, the young inventor cursed, "Oh the gods hate me."

Focusing on his work, he received a nudge from his best friend and almost failed to notice the set of beautiful blue eyes regarding him behind the banister of a stone staircase.

...

Elsa was... uncertain, yes, that would be an excellent way to describe her feelings about her current predicament. A person, a boy around her age no less, crashes onto her observatory with a giant creature right out of the storybooks Mother used to read to herself and Anna before the... incident.

Closer observation revealed that the man spoke in a foreign language and seemed to be irritated. Something about the dragons tail, half of which seemed to be made out of leather. He obviously wasn't from around here, so what happened?

Questions bubbled inside Elsa, who had spoken to no one save her parents in over seven years. Who was this boy who landed, no, crashed into her observatory. Elsa was so intrigued by the boy that she forgot about the dragon. Which happened to notice her. And in turn, alerted his rider.

Elsa's heart stopped as the boy slowly turned and she observed his appearance. A set of brown pants and some small black cloth ran over the knees. A black long sleeved sweater ran over what appeared to be a green shirt. A bearskin vest ran over that. The boy had some sort of scarf running over his mouth, it did seem to be cold out. Odd gloves adjourned his hands, with some of the fingertips cut off. Most odd of all, a set of shoulder pads crossed over his back, pauldrons she remembered.

All and all, the boy looked to be on the run and was improvising with whatever he could. The boy stood and Elsa realized he couldn't have been any older then 15. The same age as her. The dragon growled, startling her, but she watched in shock as the boy rested his hand on the snout of the creature. Removing his mask, Elsa noticed that the boy had messy, brown hair and forest green eyes, with a small patch of freckles dancing around the boys nose.

"Hei, er du vennlig?" The boy said, snapping her out of her trance.

She almost thought it was gibberish and moved away, thinking he was crazy. But the boy raised his hands and repeated himself.

"Hei, er du _vennlig_?"

Elsa was shaking but managed to ask a question of her own.

"What?"

The boy shook his head an cleared his throat.

"Excusez-moi, êtes-vous favorable?"

Elsa recognized the language, it was French, and she cursed the fact that she had not paid better attention in her mothers lessons. The accent was spot on, he seemed gifted in tongues, perhaps he knew English.

"Um... Do you speak English?"

The boy perked up, "Oh, English?" He said in a perfect accent, "Yeah, I know that. Can I ask a question?"

The princess mentally smacked herself, pleasantries.

Pulling herself up from the hiding place, she stood ramrod straight and brought her hands in front of herself, "You may."

...

Whatever Hiccup saw in Astrid, it went right out the window after seeing her. She was perfect, in regal robes and beautiful platinum blonde hair, with porcelain skin. She appeared to be fifteen, something else Hiccup was surprised by. Obviously she was important.

If he could get a location, he might be able to piece things together and get away without confrontation. So, he rested his hands on Toothless's snout and engaged in conversation.

"Um... Where am I?"

The princess was not expecting that, "A-Arendelle."

The boy slapped his forehead, "Curses, we adjusted towards the wrong heading."

The princess cleared her throat and was about to say something when footsteps occurred below the trio.

Elsa raised her hand, "Look, stay here okay?" Skipping backwards, she whirled around and down the stairs, leaving the dumbstruck duo on the roof.

...

The minutes ticked by as the friends held their breath, their location hidden only by an unknown lady, whom Hiccup found extremely attractive. Finally, the pair resolved to have a snack. The tail-fin, however time costing it may be, would make enough noise to alert anyone in their immediate location of their presence. So, Toothless downed some of the fish the pair had caught a couple days ago. Gone were the days of self indulgence for the noble reptile, he was reduced to a few fish a day and some extra at stops, the withdrawal of food was showing, on both of them.

Hiccup had put on muscle, on the leaner side, but was slowly giving in to the lack of food. They had forgotten currency, and the pair became increasingly reliant on food of the forest. While they managed to forage, the meals were inconsistent due to the need to leave a small footprint, and Hiccup was quickly learning just how hard the outside world really was.

Snacking on some berries, the pair slowly stood up as the young lady returned... without guards.

Hiccup smiled sheepishly, "Thanks for not ratting us out."

The lady shyly returned the smile. "Don't worry about it."

Noticing that she was eyeing the food, he held out some, "Take it, help yourself."

The lady shook her head, "No thank you, it would be impolite." Her stomach said otherwise.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, "Think of it as thanks for your help."

Gesturing for their new friend to sit, they passed around the food that they had. Berries of all kinds, some apples, a couple slivers of pork, a few leaves they had found on an oak tree and of course, fish. Helping herself to the berries, the lady smiled, "I suppose introductions are in order; I am Elsa, princess of Arendelle."

Hiccup nearly choked on his food; he had crashed, into a princess... Another day in the weird life of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third.

Hiccup smiled slightly, "I'm Hiccup."

He knew there would be a reaction to his name, apparently the rest of the world didn't have to worry about having names that scared away trolls and the like. In his attempts to contact society, mostly seeking to barter supplies, his name had drawn funny looks, accusations and outright laughing. So he admired and appreciated the fact that the princess had a more, reserved reaction. She raised an eyebrow and smiled before gracefully putting her hand over her mouth, making Hiccup feel self-conscious.

"That's an... interesting name."

Hiccup shrugged his shoulders, "Where I come from, there are worse."

Elsa smiled, "So... where do you come from?"

Hiccup returned the smile, although it was a sad one. "I honestly don't know anymore."

...

Hiccup regaled the princess with tails of his travels, shocking her with tales of vikings fighting dragons and the raiding, pillaging pirates plundering the coasts in their place. He told stories of other kingdoms she had only seen on maps, of plants and animals in all sorts of shapes and sizes. And never once did he give her a clear answer on where he actually was from. Toothless had long grown accustomed to the females presence and was actually enjoying the comfortable silence the two beings of nobility shared as the "dragon trainer" shared his journeys.

This companionship dug at Elsa, who had never truly felt this way since Anna. In fact, she had managed to forget about her powers, at least for a time. As Hiccups tale slowly drew to a close, Elsa cowered at the fact that, after he left, she would be alone again.

"So where do you plan to head from here, Hiccup?" Elsa asked fearfully?

Hiccup shrugged, finding that he too would miss that wonderful, companionable time they shared, "To be honest, I don't know. Scotland sounded interesting, I hear that part of the country has managed to section itself off, its alliance between the local clans has prevented every invasion attempt to this date. Seeing something like that would be like seeing a snippet of history."

Seeing Elsa look down, Hiccup felt twisted, as if he was breaking the hopes of someone. He didn't want to do that to anyone, let alone Elsa. So, in a split second decision, he added, "But I think I might stay in Arendelle for a while, it wouldn't hurt to have some downtime."

Elsa perked up, her smile growing, "Really?"

Hiccup rubbed the back of his head, his smile growing as well, "Really, Really."

Elsa immediately hid her smile, but Hiccup could see the hidden giddiness, "So it wouldn't be out of the question for you to visit me again in say... two days time?"

Hiccup nodded vigorously, "Two days," he cleared his throat, "Two days will work... So, yeah."

Elsa slowly stood up, "Okay then... See you later Hiccup. I'll be here... definitely."

Hiccup smiled, "And I'll be here, always."

By then, the tail-fin was completed, as Hiccup had shown her the reason of his sudden appearance and as Hiccup waved, Toothless nudged.

Sending the dragon a questioning look, he was surprised that the dragon was grinning at him, with the scaly ridge above his eyes wiggling. It was if the dragon was saying, 'Dude, your whipped.'

Playfully nudging the dragon, he mounted his ride and took off into the night sky, only being seen by a lone pair of beautiful blue eyes.

...

After twenty minutes of smashing, clanging and throwing, the chest was still no closer to opening then when it had been when Hiccup had started with it. Finally resolving to give up, he failed to notice the slowly charging plasma that was filling Toothless's mouth, who thought it would be excellent fun to play smash the box with his friend.

Hiccup stuck out his hand in protest as the blast impacted the side of the box, but instead of crumpling and melting what little Hiccup had left of his home, it glowed and slowly clicked open.

Looking from Toothless to the box and back, he slowly approached the chest and lifted the lid. What he found was not to be expected. A small plush dragon doll, a journal, and a hatchet. Pulling them out of the box, he opened to journal.

"To my only son, I leave these to you. You were my greatest adventure. Vallhallarama."

Flipping through the book, he found sketches of dragons, both old and completely new. He was surprised as he flipped the page from a Gronkle to something called a "Hobble Grunt." Detailed later on were pictures of someone fighting, with the hatchet. Pointers and personal notes filled the page and a strict exercise regiment was shown. Later sketches, Hiccup didn't know that his Mom made sketches, showed his Mom at his age, performing said training. The Dragon was a mystery, but he would cherish it either way.

Making a silent resolution, Hiccup planned to study the journal and follow in his mothers footsteps.

...

That downtime lasted quite a while.

True to his word, Hiccup was at that same observatory two days later. And two days after that, as Elsa continued to set dates on a consistent basis. Over the course of seven long and cherished years, Hiccup was always there, waiting for Elsa, one of the few constants in the princess's turbulent life. A constant that would be forever cherished.

However, Elsa still remained in fear of her powers. The incident with Anna had not left her memory. But the snow queen realized that, around what she soon called her closest friend, she had better control of her powers. Just being around her companion allowed her to reign in her emotions and create beauty instead of danger.

This did not go unnoticed by her parents of course. during those seven long year, never once did they catch a glimpse of the young man, but they did see the control Elsa had retained from her visits. Nearing Anna's 20th birthday, the happy monarchs decided to host a ball, the first one in over fourteen years. One that would change their kingdom, and Elsa, forever.

...

To say that Hiccup was surprised to hear that Elsa had called off their next meeting was a gross understatement. Over the years, his attraction to the beautiful princess had only grown as he had gotten to know her. When he learned of her powers, he did not run in fear like she thought, but happily accepted her for who she was. Something she would be forever grateful for.

"Can I get a reason for the obvious dumping you've given me?" Hiccup joked.

Elsa smiled and shook her head in exasperation, "I've told you, my parents are having a ball tonight. And I get to go to it, and see Anna again!"

Hiccup smiled warmly, "Of course, just... just be careful okay?"

Elsa nodded, "I will be... so what are you going to do?"

Hiccup shrugged, "i was planning on being here, but since you've given me the sack, I guess I'll just explore the forests. Again."

Elsa placed her hand on Hiccups well toned arm, "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Truth be told, Hiccup had followed his mothers exercise regiment and teachings to the letter. He still had no idea what the dragons were significant to; but, then again, he would never know. His Mother was dead after all, he could never ask her.

Nodding slightly, the 22 year old nodded, "I'll be fine. Go, have fun. I'll see you round, right?"

Elsa nodded, "Always." And with a final wave and a nod, descended down the stairs.

...

Elsa was thought to look stunning. Her coronation dress was made of the finest silk and embroidered with amazing seals representing Arendelle. But she didn't feel like herself. She slowly slipped on a set of matching gloves, ones that helped restrain her powers thanks to her parents, and adjusted her hair.

Her Mother entered the room, "Dearest... You look beautiful."

Elsa enjoyed the compliment and smiled, but it seemed forced. "Thank you, Mother."

Offering her arm, the queen of Arendelle aided her daughter in standing before the pair exited the room, making their way towards the ball.

...

Hiccup was interested in this ball thing to say the least. And where Hiccup went, Toothless followed. Landing in a tree line on the adjacent mountain, the duo rested as Hiccup brought out a spyglass he himself had designed.

"Well... so that's what a ball is."

The young adult was already identifying who was who, he could already tell that the French ambassadors were there judging from their wigs and etiquette. The English monarchs were present as well. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, and Hiccup had already identified Elsa's Father, and Anna. But where was Elsa?

As soon as the ornate door on the second floor opened, everyone turned their attention towards it. The Queen stepped out, regally descending a carpeted staircase, before being followed by Elsa. Even now, seven years later, his friend had managed to take his breath away. But she didn't seem happy. As they descended the stairs, he watched as people of significance lined up to greet her, and was treated to many kisses and bows that made Hiccups stomach churn. Elsa looked uncomfortable, irritating Hiccup even more so.

As the line drew to a close, Hiccup noticed the last seven residents and felt his heart stop.

...

Elsa was irritated by the constant bowing and kissing, she knew that the majority of it was just for show, in an attempt to take advantage of both her and Arendelle's resources. But the icing on top of the cake happened to be the final seven partakers that came to introduce themselves.

"My lady." A deep, booming voice grabbed Elsa's attention. A mountain of a man, with a flowing red, braided beard and a beefy body greeted her. He knelt to kiss her hand, but he still was a good two feet taller. What shocked her the most, was that Hiccup bore great resemblance to the man. "I thank you for your hospitality, I am Stoick the vast, of the island of Berk."

Elsa could only nod as the man made way for those behind him. She already knew who they were, judging from Hiccup's stories. Gobber the Belch came next, offering his name and a compliment about the party; he was fatter then what Hiccup had described.

Fishlegs came next, the boy seemed to be in a daze. He was immediately apologetic, but wouldn't give a straight answer. Eventually, he was shoved aside by the Twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut. who did little more than offer their name and their residence before shoving each other into the refreshments. Astrid came next, a simple nod was given before she was moved aside roughly by Snotlout.

"Babe, has Asgard lost a Valkyrie? Because I think I just found one." Elsa blushed but thanked him before he was pulled aside by Stoick.

"My lady, I thank you for the aid you and your kingdom had provided the island of Berk, without your food and water, we would have starved to death. You have our respect." Elsa again failed to do much more then nod before the entourage was moved aside.

Then of course, the moment Elsa was both waiting for and dreading, Anna approached.

...

Hiccup continued to look on as his old home graced the halls of Arendelle. His father looked terrible, as if he was worn away by something. The circumstances at home didn't seem to help, nor did his sons absence. A part of Hiccup was pained, but he held fast. His friends, also known as tormentors, introduced themselves, and Hiccup barely restrained himself from entering the ball and ripping Snotlout's arm out of his socket. But oh, did he imagine it.

"Gobbers put on weight." Hiccup noted dryly.

And now, the moment everyone's been waiting for, Anna approached Elsa. The pair embraced and Hiccup could see a pained but happy Elsa. It made his heart ache. The pair began to talk for what seemed like hours, so Hiccup moved on to see the rest of the room. In the corner sat a couple. They wore beautiful, purple silken clothing, with suns adjourning their arms. The King and Queen of Corona, Hiccup realized. They stared, longingly, at Anna. Hiccup knew the tale, of how they had lost their daughter and were unable to create another. Hiccup sympathized for them, but there was little he could do. Hiccup continued to search for Elsa, but could not find her.

He did, however, see Anna chatting with a man, most likely from the Southern Isles. They seemed excited, but Hiccup sensed that all was not right. As the pair approached Elsa's parents, they spoke. Only to see Anna enraged and the man looking disappointed as the King and Queen shook their heads. Anna snatched the mans hand and strode towards where Elsa was, now in plain sight. Snotlout was trailing behind Elsa, laying down heavy charms, but the princess did little to acknowledge anything.

Once the pair approached Elsa, Anna smiled and grinned cheerfully, shoving the man forwards. Apparently, she was asking for something. Elsa looked at her with pained eyes and shook her head, only to see Anna questioning her sister furiously; to which Elsa provided short, curt responses. Hiccup knew that that she was loosing control of her emotions, and by extent her powers, and he was silently begging Anna to stop. But she continued to badger her sister.

Lashing out, Anna snatched Elsa's gloves, exposing her hands. With the gloves gone and the emotions out of control, Hiccup knew that things were going to get nasty. He could only watch in horror as Anna reached out to grab a retreating Elsa, only to see dangerously sharp ice crystals sprout just centimeters away from her neck. Shaking his head, he watched Elsa fearfully dash upstairs, away from the shocked and accusatory emissaries. One man in particular, a jumpy, short elderly fellow with twin body guards, bounced up and down shrieking "witchcraft."

"Let's go bud." Hiccup said, and the silent dragon offered no resistance. They took off towards the observatory, and Elsa.

...

They waited for five minutes, the crashing of fists against wood and the demands of Elsa's parents grew ever louder. Elsa emerged slowly, a bag in her hands, not meeting her friends eyes. Hiccup knew what she wanted. Offering a hand, the former princess of Arendelle took off with her only friends, into the unknown.

...

**A.N. Longer chapter, I hope you guys enjoyed it. I had fun writing this, but it took a while... so, could you please send me a little review down below?**

**Thanks for the support everyone,**

**-Ipods-And-Buds-1239**


	3. Chapter 3

**Band of Misfits: Taking Flight**

**A.N. Well... I guess I'm on fire. I'm really enjoying this story, but the editing takes me roughly an hour. Sorry if you had a bit of issue in following the chapter, I think I'll start adding a summary of the previous chapter in order to help everyone understand what's going on.**

**...**

**Reviews:**

**fanfictionmakermachine: And now the duo turns into a trio, on the run again. I'm slowly leading up to something, that will emerge in chapter 4. Which will most likely come out on Sunday. Hiccup did get over her a little fast, but he had three months of thinking about people, three months to realize that, in the current circumstances, she would never accept him for him.**

**qwq qweqq: Thank you, I'll keep updating. I hope this Fanfic remains entertaining. **

**Zephyrus Anemoi Fiction: I was hoping to show what's happening on Berk, simply because it will have a role in a future book. I do intend to turn this into a series. Sorry about the whiplash, I was kind of rushing that chapter. I've been thinking about having oneshots in that time period for the pairing as a separate story, should I make a couple of those? I think these summaries might help deal with that, things should be a bit more evenly paced from now on. **

** Zehava: Hiccup's new title, Hiccup, the master of hide and seek... I like it. **

** CMR Rosa: I was a bit hesitant about adding Berk, but I had some reasons. Chiefly being, they will not be shown for a while and I wanted to make sure that no one forgot about their predicament. **

**...**

**Summary: After a haphazard mid-flight repair, Hiccup crashes into Elsa's observatory, where the pair draws closer and closer. "Some downtime" in Hiccup's words turned into seven years. Hiding in the vast forests of Arendelle, Hiccup has managed to open his mothers chest, finding a hatchet, a stuffed dragon and a journal depicting his mothers youth. Judging from the book, Hiccup resolves to follow his Mother's footsteps and learn how to fight.**

**Meanwhile, while Elsa doesn't realize it, love is providing control of her powers. Being around Hiccup is allowing control, something that her parents are noticing. While Hiccup has remained hidden, the restraint Elsa shows spurs them to open a ball, where multiple characters make an appearance. After a harsh confrontation with her sister, Elsa's powers are revealed and she flees to the observatory, where Hiccup awaits without being told to do so. Without question, he accepts her as a traveling companion and the pair head out into the world.**

**...**

Chapter 3

The door to Merida's room was flung open as the princess was shoved into the room by her Mother. The Queens anger was showing, but the look of defiance never left Merida's face.

"I don't believe you! Ah've 'ad just about had enough o' you, lass!" The queen screamed, waving an accusatory finger at her daughter.

"Meh? You're tha one tha' wan's meh to-" Merida attempted to explain, but she was cut off.

"You embarrassed them! You embarrassed me!" Queen Elinor growled, taking a step forwards.

Was that what she cared about, her reputation as a queen that could do no wrong; not her own daughters happiness?

The princess was adamant, she had followed tradition, she won her hand fair and square. "Ah followed the rules, Mother."

The look of fury on the Queens face only continued to grow, "You don't know what you've done! There'll be fire an' sword if it's no' set right."

"Just listen!" Merida pleaded, but her cries only fell on deaf ears.

"I am the _Queen_! You listen to _me_."

With a groan one would not expect from a princess, Merida collapsed on her bed, "This is so unfair!"

"Huh! Unfair?!" Queen Elinor could not believe what she was hearing, she had raised her daughter to be selfless, to put her citizens first. Where did she go wrong?

Merida rose with a vengeance; snatching a sword, she gestured wildly, "Meh?! You were never there for meh! This whole marriage is what _you_ want! Do you ever bother to ask what _ah_ want? No! You walk around telling meh what to do, what not to do! Trying to make meh be like you! Well, ah'm not going to be like you!"

Queen Elinor sniffed indignantly, turning away from her daughter. "Ach! You're acting like a child!"

"And _you're_ a beast!" Gesturing to her Mothers prized tapestry depicting herself, her Father and her Mother, she poked her sword at it. The princess could feel her anger rising.

"That's what you are!"

Queen Elinor turned to face her and was shocked at the situation, she was going to rip years of work, "Merida!"

But Merida would not listen, she was finally making her point, "I'll never be like you!"

Queen Elinor raised her hands slowly, attempting to interrupt, "No! Stop that!"

"I would rather _die _than be like you!" Merida screams, and in that instant a treasured bond was severed. With a single, well placed slash, Merida's sword cut a fine line between her mother and the girl on the tapestry, the girl Merida swore never to be. Staring back at her Mother with defiance only shown by the fiercest of warriors, Merida's heart plummeted as her Mothers glare grew and she marched forwards. Grabbing the sword, she ripped it from the princess's grasp and pulled her daughters beloved bow from its place on her back.

"Merida, you are a princess! And ah expect you to act like one!"

With no remorse in her words or her ruthless actions, her Mother tossed the beautiful yew wood longbow into the roaring fireplace. In just seconds, the wood was already turning to ash and the bowstring snapped with an withering crack. Merida could feel the tears coming to her eyes, but she maintained her defiant stare, before fleeing from the room.

She didn't hear her Mothers regretful words, nor her name being called. From this day fourth, she knew that she would not be able to live the life she loved. She was leaving. Not even bothering to pack, she dashed outside, past the stunned lords and her shocked suitors. Leaping onto her one true friend, she spurred her Clydesdale into action. Angus moved with ease, never faltering.

The palace gates were always open, a testament to her Fathers welcoming attitude, so Merida had no problems escaping her cage. She longed to ride this very same route, firing her arrows from the bow that had once rested on her back.

'I'll bet that devil was shifting it around the fire, watching her childhood burn.' Merida thought dejectedly.

Soon, her mount swayed into unknown forests. Her once familiar landmarks were quickly fading away. The trees seemed to bend over the path, as if they were glaring at the otherwise lacking passersby. But never once did the princess's flight come close to faltering. Every rock looked as if it was hiding a creature, as if the supernatural fused with reality to create a new blend. These were strange woods, the exact ones Hiccup and Elsa happened to be wandering in.

...

The viking, his dragon and the princess walked in companionable silence, the foreboding environment did little to unease their nerves. After all, the company happened to have... a unique skill set to say the least. Elsa was greatly enjoying the journey, while Hiccup's ranger skills had improved greatly, and there was not a day when the group grew hungry. Needless to say, she missed her family. Anna especially. But she was gone, and they were safe.

This was better for everyone, right?

Shaking her head, Elsa strayed ahead of her friends, oblivious to the sudden pounding of hooves quickly coming down the path. Crossing the road, she only had a second to turn, barely noticing Hiccups warning.

...

Merida didn't realize what was going on. She was airborne, that much was certain. With a thud, she rolled in the grass, causing her shoulder to scream in pain. She had most likely broken something. She knew there was commotion behind her and she turned to call her horse. What she saw, however, was very different.

Two green, reptilian eyes staring with both anger and curiosity, just inches away from her face. It scared her, never before had she seen something like this. This was an entirely new adventure.

...

Hiccup was not happy. He just watched his friend dodge a horse on a remote forest path. He had no indication as to whether or not she was alright. With a passing whinny, the horse turned back and hustled down the path. Rushing forwards, he found Elsa lying in a small ditch, looking dazed.

"Elsa!" Hiccup cried, snapping his fingers. She was responsive, following her friends attempts to garner attention, but she was still pained. She slowly, almost delicately raised her hand to her head. Hiccup slowly clasped it with his own. A scream jarred the two apart as the hotshot rider who had nearly run his friend over became confronted with the third member of their party.

...

Merida screamed, she screamed for her life, for her family, for anything that could get her out of this predicament. Sitting in front of her was the stuff of legends, a dragon it would appear. In her forest. The creature did not look amused, it reared back and opened its mouth, a glow appeared and Merida realized her seconds were numbered. Her life flashed before her eyes and she knew that her bid for freedom was over. Had it not been for the commanding voice, Merida knew she would've been scorched to a crisp.

A man approached, appearing to be in his early twenties. Merida scarcely realized that the dragon was looking at him, as if he was crazy. And he was not happy.

"Lady, you do realize you came _this_ close to ramming my friend?" The voice was fierce and accusatory, but Merida planned to rise to the challenge. As she attempted to stand, she felt a blinding pain in her ankle and she fell backwards. Her ankle was twisted, her shoulder was broken, her bid for freedom had fled from her. She could only relate to the birds that had had their wings broken, lying on the forest floor, waiting to be discovered by a predator. With that thought, Merida began to weep bitterly.

...

Hiccup wasn't sure what to do, he had little experience with these kinds of situations. Thankfully, his other companion had risen and was walking, albeit sluggishly, towards her offender. With a hand on Hiccups shoulder in an attempt to steady herself, Elsa observed her attacker. A young girl, heartbroken by the look of it, with heavy injuries of her own.

All the anger for her attacker disappeared in an instant. Her nausea was quickly disappearing, but the gash in her head continued to bleed. Something Hiccup began to worry about. Bringing Elsa to a knee, he rummaged through his bag, pulling out a small leather bag. Undoing the buttons, he retrieved out some spare cloth, wrapping it around Elsa's wound with exaggerated gentleness. With the wound covered, Elsa would only need rest and the occasional change of bandaging.

But that wasn't her priority. Elsa nudged him towards the unknown horse rider, who was currently sprawled on the ground, her eyes closed. She wasn't moving, not that she could. Hiccup shook his head.

"She hurt you, your my priority right now." Hiccup protested.

Elsa shook her head, "I'll be fine, she needs your help much more then I do."

Hiccup shook his head, "But-"

Elsa shook her head and glared, "Hiccup." She said, her voice was laced warning.

Hiccup raised his hands in submission and sighed, "Okay. I'll help her."

Elsa smiled slightly and walked over to the forest line, gathering sticks, branches and other types of fuel for a fire. They would be here for a while.

Hiccup slowly drew his attention to the lady. Nudging her side with his foot, she cracked open an eye. "Wha' do you wan'?"

Hiccup shrugged, "My friend says you need help, can I get a name?"

The lady seemed to be debating with herself on whether or not to offer a name. Finally, she provided one.

"Merida."

...

Elsa was slightly frazzled by today's events. They were simply exploring Scotland, a place they both decided to travel to, and she was run over just a few minutes after they landed. What a wonderful way to start their travels. But after seeing who hurt her, however angry she was, it went away as she observed her attacker. She was in a lot of pain, both physically and internally. She looked over to see Hiccup setting her arm straight. The resounding crack echoed and shook everyone in the clearing to their core. Even Toothless grimaced. But not once did the lady cry out. She was strong, something Elsa admired.

Eventually, she finished gathering the easier branches, Hiccup would be upset that she had done any labor in this condition, but they needed a fire. They didn't know what lurked in these woods. The trio had encountered wolves, and while one was not a problem, what with Toothless, a pack would overwhelm them. Yeah, that fire was very tempting.

Toothless knew the drill; as soon as Elsa backed away, he loosed a weaker spark that instantly erupted into a healthy flame. Lying down, the dragon allowed his friend to recline against him. Slowly, Elsa felt her eyes drop, and would've fallen to sleep had it not been for Hiccups arrival. Leaning heavily on him was the offending red head.

Elsa liked hair, but she wasn't afraid to cut it. This lady however had more hair in one place then anyone she had seen in her short month of travels. Said hair was curled, draped in every which way. Her gown was regal, but torn terribly. A thick, woolen over cloak in a dark blue shade rested over everything and a hood was draped behind her.

It was clear that she was wealthy, but the lady did not seem to like her current standing. Hiccup slowly lowered her downwards and moved into the forest, returning with a small log which he used to prop her up. With Elsa being able to look her in the eye, they finally regarded each other. She was younger, by about four years, but she was still a blossoming adult. Her arm was cast in a sling using something; Hiccups tool belt.

Her leg was propped up, as it it was immobilized, but she still held herself like someone that could pummel even the mightiest warrior. She finally looked Elsa in the eyes and a grimace occurred, "Sorry about running you over."

Elsa smiled shyly, "It's quite alright, you appear to have a lot on your mind."

The lady shrugged, "As ah was telling you friend over here, Hickey?"

Elsa chuckled at Hiccup, "It's Hiccup, actually." The boy provided, with annoyance evident in his voice.

Merida smiled sheepishly, and looked at Elsa, "Mah name's Merida."

Elsa exchanged looks with Hiccup, that wasn't a common name. Merida noticed this, she quickly attempted to change the subject. "What about you?"

Elsa didn't mind the informality, the past was in the past as she always said. "My name is Elsa."

Merida smiled, "Nice name. So... what are you doing out 'ere?"

Elsa shrugged, "We were exploring, we're traveling together."

Merida perked up, "Traveling? With a dragon? Huh, where to?"

Elsa and Hiccup exchanged a look again, before Hiccup spoke up, "We don't know, we were thinking about Corona. I hear the lantern festival is quite nice."

Merida raised an eye, "Lantern festival? Sounds fun. But wit' a dragon?"

Hiccup nodded absently, "He's a friend... May we ask what your doing out here?"

Merida looked down sadly and Elsa glared at her friend, but she knew that Hiccup was curious. She couldn't deny being curious herself, it was odd for someone to be out at this time, especially here of all places. And in such regal clothing, however ruined it was. The former princess was certain that she would not receive an answer, before Merida began an explanation, despite how shaky her voice was.

"Me and my Ma 'ad a... bit o' an argument."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, dreading where this was going. He was no stranger to parental troubles.

"She want'd meh to beh, we'l, somethin ah was no'. Ah said no an' she was no' 'appy. So ah ran."

Hiccup nodded sadly, she was in the same predicament they were.

Merida adjusted herself, grimacing as she did so. "Ah'll shake this thing off soon enough, then ah'll be on mah way."

Elsa watched as the redhead closed her eyes slowly. She wasn't in any position to continue on her journey, not with the injuries she was sustaining. And if she was as important as Elsa suspected, it would only be a matter of time before a search party came her way. One that would not give up until they had either Merida or her body.

She was obviously torn up and in no position to hide. The princess felt that she should do something. They could take her with them, but it would be difficult. Then again, they couldn't just leave her. Looking to Hiccup, she could only guess his reaction. He looked up at her, pinched the bridge of his nose, took a deep breath and waved to her. She would make the choice. And she wouldn't leave someone like this behind.

"Merida." Elsa said delicately, unsure as to whether or not her new friend was still awake. Friend, she wasn't sure how else to consider the girl. Fortunately, the girl cracked one eye open, regarding the princess with curiosity, "Yes?"

Elsa took a deep breath, "If you have nowhere to go, your welcome to come with us." Merida would have sat ram rod straight, had it not been for her current predicament. Speechless, she finally managed to give a response.

"Really?"

Elsa nodded, smiling, earning a contented sigh from Merida.

"Thank you... Ah would like that."

...

Hiccup was not amused. While he felt for the girl, he really did, she was another liability. Until she got better, Hiccup and Toothless would be the only two able-bodied participators in their little traveling show. Then there was the extra mouth to feed. While it wasn't a problem to the extent that Hiccup was making it to be, it was still a problem. She was part of their group, no questions asked, it was just the fact that... it wouldn't be just him and Elsa anymore. He would miss the days where they were on their own.

However, Elsa's mind was made up, so he wouldn't question it. He would do anything for his friends, so Hiccup resolved to see what happened. Looking over his group, he saw that everyone was already asleep. Toothless would be in for a surprise come morning, seeing that he was carrying yet another person and their luggage on his back.

Standing quietly, with practiced ease, he walked over to his pack and pulled out the blankets they happened to have. He found that they only had two, one for him and one for Elsa; they didn't need extras. Mentally cursing himself, he made a quick decision. Taking his bedding, Hiccup spread the bear skin blanket he had taken from his bed on Berk over Merida and watched as she did not stir. Hiccup did feel bad as to how he had treated her, she did appear to have had a hard day. Shaking his head, he turned to Elsa.

He covered his closest friend with the remaining blanket. Adjusting it, he smiled as Elsa sighed in her sleep. He turned to Toothless, who was completely passed out. Hiccup was certain that he knew that dragon better then he knew himself. Finally realizing that he would be out in the cold, alone, he sighed; it would be a long night.

...

Hiccup had stayed awake the entirety of the night. He did not know this area and was not comfortable enough to leave his friends without a lookout. Having taken an elevated position, he could see for miles around. And in the early morning fog, a fierce light penetrated the otherwise mystical land. A single, unbroken line that was headed in their general direction.

Standing to get a better look, he could see that it stretched for almost a quarter of a mile, and that what was originally a single light was actually a chain of smaller lights, most likely torches. A group of people en masse were headed their way. Judging from the distance, they would be here in fifteen minutes. Hiccup dropped from his perch and clapped his hands, waking everyone quickly.

"We've got trouble."

...

Elsa rose slowly, still nursing her head, but she was able to get ready. Toothless was up in a heartbeat, standing to attention. His ears perked in every direction, Hiccup would be willing to bet everything he had that his friend could hear their pursuers. After all, there was little other reason to be out here at this time. As he deconstructed the fire pit, Elsa roused Merida, before helping her to her feet.

Her ankle was already looking better, and her arm was obviously rested. She would be a hassle to deal with in the air, but they would not leave her behind. Hiccup gathered their belongings and tossed them into his wicker basket. With everything ready, Hiccup quickly managed to stow everything on Toothless. While the dragon was not happy to be used as a pack mule, he understood the necessity of the situation. An insurance of plentiful food at their next stop was only an incentive.

As Elsa helped Merida onto Toothless, she was still wary of the dragon. But as soon as the barking of hounds sounded, she was the first one on the noble beast. Elsa was next, but she still had to make sure that Merida was secure. She was riding without an arm or a leg, something that would be dangerous, but necessary. Wedging Merida between herself and the baggage, she looked to Hiccup and waved frantically. Hiccup, attempting to put out the final embers, failed to notice the teenager wearing blue war paint emerge from the bush behind him. With a shrill scream, he raised a long sword and sprinted towards the dragon trainer.

...

Hiccup, hearing the girlish scream, whirled around and had to duck, narrowly avoiding a swing that would have taken his head off. Falling back on his hands, he rolled backwards, kicking up his leg at the last second. Catching the odd warrior under the chin, the boy stumbled backwards, cursing in an older tongue. Hiccup took his hatchet out, holding it defensively in front of himself.

The teenager quickly recovered, and with a loud yell hollered "Macintosh!"

Running forwards, he swung his sword with sloppy footwork, something Hiccup took advantage off. Catching the strike on the blade of his own weapon, he swung an off hand punch, knocking the boy off balance. As the oddly painted boy grunted, Hiccup swung his leg, tripping the boy and causing him to collapse. Without a second glance, Hiccup turned away and sprinted towards his friends.

As Hiccup secured himself and double checked his friends, two hunting hounds emerged from the tree line. Just as Hiccup's previous opponent rose, the dogs used the boy as a spring board, driving his face back into the dirt. Had it not been the serious situation that it was, Hiccup would have laughed. However, the hunting hounds were drawing closer, and Hiccup could just make out the pounding hooves on the forest floor.

"Lets go bud."

Taking off, he didn't hear Elsa's sigh of relief or Merida's bittersweet farewell. He was just happy to get out of there. It was a shame that he never got to see the castles of Scotland, but so long as everyone was safe, he would be happy. Taking off, the last he heard of Scotland was a throaty, heartbroken scream echo across the morning sky.

...

A.N. Next stop... Corona. Don't be annoyed with Hiccup or his attitude, he's slightly out of character right now, but I hope to remedy that. I mean, how would you feel if your closest friend got run over by someone who wasn't watching the road? Expect an update soon, the story is about to kick in. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, expect another update by tomorrow!

-Ipods-And-Buds-1239


	4. Chapter 4

**Band of Misfits: Taking Flight Chapter 4**

**A.N. This happens to be a shorter chapter. Just saying. Don't expect another chapter until Thursday. I have a four day weekend. Well... Hope you enjoy!**

**Reviews:**

**fanfictionmakermachine: I plan to keep updating. This story is a lot of fun to write, hence the extra attention. **

**sakura240: Not really sure how to address a review like this, are there three of you? Nevertheless: **

**Kura: HA! Later on, she might... Possible sequel I'm thinking of. **

**Berry: It should be a bit up bit in this chapter. They are leaving everything they have behind because they are not accepted for who they are. **

**Kura: Hope you like the chapter!**

**jv2en3: Yeah, this is going to be Eugene and Rapunzel. Jack's going to be a bit... odd. As for the story, I happy you like it, it's feedback like this that makes me like to write. **

**Summary: After a fierce argument with her Mother, Merida flee's from home. Narrowly avoiding Elsa, she crashes and receives major injuries. With her horse gone and the injuries too great to continue her flight, she decides, through tears, to wait for the inevitable search party. If she's still around. Meanwhile, Hiccups tending to Elsa only a few feet away, who is in much better condition. Despite his hesitation, Elsa makes him treat Merida, while she unpacks. After talking over the fire, Elsa, despite Hiccups hesitation, asks if Merida would like to come with them. After acceptance, Hiccup stands guard. In the morning, a massive search party arrives and travelers quickly attempt to leave. After Hiccup's duel with a young Macintosh, the unlikely group flees to somewhere new. Corona. **

...

Flynn Rider was having a... trying day. His get rich quick scheme wasn't exactly working as he planned. His idea was simple really; manipulate the big, ugly, scary, hardened and did he mention ugly, criminal twins also known as the Stabbingtons into helping him "borrow" a precious tiara from the reigning royals, ditch said criminals to take the fall for the crime and trade the stolen treasure to his friend from the Southern Isles, who would guarantee that he lived a luxurious life of luxury for the rest of his days.

He had expected the armed guards on horseback, but he wasn't expecting the horses to attack him as well. Out-maneuvering the majority of the guards and their arrows was relatively simple; the captain of the guard however, despite his incompetence, managed to stay on the thieves tale. Performing a flawless bit of swinging on the vines of a tree, he had managed to knock his lone pursuer off his mount. Spurring the horse to go faster, he noticed that the horse had tensed and barely had enough time to brace himself.

With hooves flailing the horse, a white pure-breed stallion, skidded to a halt. Turning to look at his new rider, Flynn was surprised to see the threatening glare and... absolute, pure hate glistening in its eyes. Whatever this thing was, it was not a horse. With tremendous ferocity, the horse snapped at Flynn's satchel, attempting to seize the thieves stolen merchandise. Flynn was worried, this thing wasn't halting in its attempts to reclaim what he considered his property.

One thing lead to another and Flynn lost his grip on the satchel. Falling from the demon-horse, the feuding pair watched as the painfully flimsy bag flew through the air, right towards a cliff line. Flynn could only sigh in relief as a lucky strap snagged on an overturned tree branch. With one look at his odd opponent, the race began. This quickly turned from a scuffle into a mad scramble, with both sides playing dirty in an attempt to seize the tiara. Tripping, pushing and punching turned into falling, as the pair had traversed the entire length of their narrow and flimsy support. With painstaking slowness, the tree fell over the edge of a sheer drop.

Looking to the horse, he couldn't help himself from screaming. Falling fast, Flynn clutched the satchel closely to his chest, hoping for a miracle. Finally, he saw his chance. Using the doomed tree as a spring board, he leapt onto another slope, one that had a lighter gradient. While the timing was spot on, he couldn't slow the excess speed he retained from his previous mishap. With another, less manly scream, the thief prayed that he would not become a splattered spot, albeit a _handsome_ splattered spot, on a wall of some kind as he plummeted downwards.

...

It had been close to a year after the events in Scotland unfolded, and the group of traveling friends had finally reached their destination. With less then two days until the lantern festival began, Hiccup seemed to think that they were cutting it a little too close, but he knew that they would make it.

Of the group, Merida had more than carried her weight. Once Hiccup had managed to create a new bow, as per her request, her archery skills had managed to feed every member of their rag-tag team, including Toothless. Gone were the days of scavenging, they hunted for what they needed now. While Elsa hadn't informed Merida of her history, or her powers for that matter; Merida had failed to do so as well. Something they were both comfortable with hiding, Elsa's motto had struck a chord that everyone followed.

'The past is in the past.'

Hiccup smiled as his friends marched through the forest. With Merida taking the lead, bow at the ready and with Hiccup's shield strapped to her back, the rest of the group followed behind. Being the elected leader, Hiccup focused on navigation, his trusty map showing the best route to Corona's capitol. Elsa trailed with Toothless, cautious due to her... accident, when they had met Merida. Hiccup had no problem with that, he trusted Toothless to keep her safe. And to be honest, if anyone crashed into Merida, he would be more worried about the attacker then the Scottish lass. She was made of something else.

"Hiccup." Elsa whispered, causing the boy to turn. His friend gestured towards Toothless. The dragons ears were twitching, he seemed nervous. If something made a dragon nervous, it would be wise to proceed with caution. Hiccup nodded and gestured to stay low. He crouched as well, remaining still. Merida was oblivious, probably observing the local wildlife. So of course, she failed to notice the screaming man blasting over the edge of a nearby ridge, colliding with his feisty friend.

Hiccup pulled out his hatchet, this could be trouble.

...

Flynn Rider's preferred day would have been to relax in the sun on an island that he owned, surrounded by piles of money. Not fleeing from a feral horse with his ticket to freedom and fortune. And certainly not with a redhead, however attractive she was. After a haphazard landing, he was surprised to see a group of the oddest travelers he had ever seen. And a "something", dear God, what was that thing. He couldn't believe his eyes.

Rubbing his head and squinting furiously, he groaned. "That was fun."

...

Elsa could not deny that the man in front of her was attractive. But that man happened to have her friend trapped, somehow he had become lodged in between the straps of Merida's weaponry. Attempting to push her friend away, he seemed desperate to get away. Until he looked at her.

Pausing in his struggles, he gave the biggest, most flirtatious smile she had ever seen, "Hey there."

One look at Hiccup's hatchet changed his whole attitude, with fury evident; her best friend wasn't exactly a happy camper.

"So... who would you be?"

Flynn smiled slyly and shuffled away, Merida helpless and not to eager to anywhere near the stranger. "Who me? Nah, you don't need to know me! This is just, well, a misunderstanding!"

A fierce whinny sounded nearby, and the mysterious man froze, as if he was traumatized. "No, that's impossible."

Hiccup had looked in the direction of the sound, giving mere seconds for the man to make his frantic getaway.

...

Dragging the red head behind him, Flynn waved at the scary man with the hatchet, "Sorry, loved chatting with you, but I've got to go!"

Taking off, Flynn ignored the man's protests and his captives furious wailing on his back. Despite the tenacity, nothing was going to stand in the way of his escape. Resolving to ditch the feisty lady later, he backed up against a rock, earning another series of odd accented accusations.

"Just 'oh do yeh think yeh ar?!"

Flynn, not one to bother in the labor of learning another language, shook his head, "I canno' understan' yer accen't."

The creepy lady glared and, had he not been a grown man, Flynn would have soiled himself. The pounding of hooves sounded nearby, causing the pretty boy to panic. He desperately hushed his friend, who was too shocked with anger to respond to his completely justified orders. Pressing tighter against the rock, he was surprised to find himself falling backwards. But he quickly turned, taking the fall. He didn't want to anger his little friend anymore, for fear that she would give away his location.

The thundering of hooves stopped abruptly as a shadow appeared. Apparently, someone had managed to create a hide of leaves that worked perfectly. Had it not been for their situation, Flynn would have admired the craftsmanship. But then the shadow moved and Flynn's heart stopped. The spawn of the underworld had arrived.

"Wha' are yeh lookin' a-" Flynn hushed his hostage and turned so she could see.

It was obviously the horse, but it was certainly not acting like one. With a startling amount of intelligence, the creature searched the surrounding area, oblivious to their presence. But what scared Flynn the most, was when it began to search for a scent, much like a blood hound. Pawing at the ground, it hunkered down to a nearly prone position, rear in the air; searching for a sign of their location. Slowly drawing closer to their spot, Flynn's heart had clawed it's way into his throat. He was too pretty to die.

Suddenly, a new shadow appeared. Unlike the horse, it looked the part of a monster. Braying in fear, the horse fled as the beast gave chase. The lady snorted, something he did not find attractive in a woman.

"Tha's what yer runnin' from? A horse?"

Flynn groaned, "That _thing_ is not a horse. And what was that?"

The lady grinned, and Flynn thought for a second he might prefer the horse, "Tha' woul' be Toothless."

Flynn didn't question the name. Turning around, he was not expecting to see a beautiful glade with a tower. Dragging the living rag-doll with him, despite the protests, he approached the misplaced parapet. Even in the face of the fact that "Toothless" had chased off that... "Thing," Flynn was not taking chances. He could hide in the tower, wait for things to blow over. Maybe grow a beard, he wouldn't want to blow his cover. That, and the promise of valuables in the tower sealed the deal.

Pulling out two arrows he had snagged while fleeing the guards, for they had fired quite a few volleys from their crossbows; he began to ascend the stone walls, ignorant to the anger of his new friend on his back.

...

Observing the room, Flynn was impressed. Whoever built this place had spared no expense. Beautiful paintings covered the walls and an extravagant kitchen was cordoned off. A cream colored couch was in the corner, with multiple, embroidered pillows. Despite all the riches in the room, Flynn couldn't shake the encroaching feeling that said he didn't belong. Wandering over the kitchen, he casually pocketed the solid gold and ruby encrusted cooking utensils.

These people knew how to live. In his admiration for the life style that would soon to be his, Flynn failed to notice the grappling hook at the window he had climbed through.

...

Merida smiled as Hiccup slowly crept forwards. He grinned and held a finger to his lips. When the perpetrator turned around, he was startled to see a wickedly sharp knife to his throat, and a hatchet just adjacent to it. Raising his hands slowly, he scowled as Merida cheered.

"Two out of three?" Flynn smiled sheepishly, and let out a squeal as the mysterious boy pressed the blade closer.

"Listen, I don't like this situation any more then you do, can't we discuss this peacefully?"

The boy shook his head, "We could have done that. But you ran away, so... yeah, here we are."

Flynn sighed, "Look, I'm just trying to get out of here. How about this, you can take your friend, maybe some of this stuff as compensation for the time we've wasted, and we can part as unlikely friends! Huh, how does that sound?"

...

Elsa had found a poster outside. Despite the brief glimpse, she could tell that the guy who had taken Merida was a hardened criminal. Although the nose was off slightly; okay, not so slightly; it had to be him. She looked to see that Hiccup had gone ahead, utilizing a grappling hook he made. He had stocked up on tools during their little adventure. Climbing with some difficulty, Elsa managed to haul herself through the lone window in the cherry roofed, yellow tower. She didn't stop to look at the scenery.

When she entered the room, and saw the predicament, she knew that Hiccup was faking it. He wasn't a fighter, despite his skill as one. He was more diplomatic then she was, despite her upbringing as a future ruler of a peaceful kingdom. But she knew, and admired, that he would do anything to protect a friend.

Curiously, she listened to Flynn Rider's offer. Shaking her head, Elsa finally made herself known.

"We are not thieves, Mr. Rider."

Flynn immediately turned, before cracking a grin, as if he was greeting an old friend, "Hey, it's the hot one! Isn't it a wonderful day? It's a wonderful day, isn't it? Man, I'd really appreciate it if you could have your boy toy back off, sound good?"

With blinding speed and pinpoint accuracy, Hiccup removed his knife and swung his hatchet, cutting Merida free. Without a second to spare, he shoved Flynn backwards, simultaneously pulling Merida towards him. Elsa strode forwards and moved to stand behind Hiccup, smiling. "I don't think that's an option, given the circumstances."

Helping her friend up, she watched as Merida drew her bow. Within seconds, an arrow was notched and ready to fly towards the arrogant man.

Raising his hands, Rider smiled, "Now now, I really don't want any trouble, I just-"

CLANG!

...

That sound made even Merida cringe. Not one of them had moved, it was if something invisible had struck the man. Instinctively huddling together, the friends went back to back. Together, the travelers began to watch every corner of the room. Frost slowly danced towards them, covering the floors. Hiccup tensed.

"Elsa, is that you?" He asked warily.

Merida eyed the unnatural element, seeing as it was well into spring. Wait, what did Hiccup say? Watching that freak bit of weather had left them vulnerable. The next thing Merida knew, her ankles were tied together and she was hurtling towards the ceiling.

This was going to hurt... THUD!

...

**A.N. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, I think the Band of Misfits is finally going to get together. Again, expect an update by thursday! **

**-Ipods-And-Buds-1239**


	5. Chapter 5

**Band of Misfits: Taking Flight Chapter 5**

**A.N. I've been re-reading my chapters. It's times like this when I've got to say... I love my readers. I love the thanks I get and criticism I receive. With luck, I'll be able to improve on my work. Expect so chapters to be revised.**

**Reviews:**

**Zephyrus Anemoi Fiction: Last time skip is at the beginning of this chapter. Sorry about the whiplash, I've decided on getting a beta reader. Hopefully they can help me fix this problem.**

**Fanfictionmakermachine: Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter. This was fun I write, the gangs all together.**

**ice-princesses-1239: Mother Gothel will be jut as centric in the chapter as she was in tangled, rest assured. Thanks for the praise, I hope you like the chapter!**

**qwq qweqq: Thanks for the advice, I've decided on getting a beta reader to cut down on the spelling and punctuation mistakes. I hope you like this chapter.**

**Guest1: I'll be happy to oblige to that, whether it be now or later on in the series.**

**red719: To be honest, I have no clue. I have a poll on my profile about the subject, go ahead and check it out if you have a preference.**

**Jebest4781: I'm excited to say that this will be a multiple story fanfiction, so rest assured that this will have lots of different answers to the questions you have now. There will be massive connections to Frozen in the final story... just saying. **

**Thanks for all the favorites and follows, I hope you like the chapter!**

**Summary: After ditching the guards and his fellow accomplices, Flynn and his satchel containing a priceless crown come under siege from a deranged horse. Falling from a cliff, the thief encounters the travelers, before snagging on Merida's many weapons. Fleeing, the unhappy pair stumbles across a tower. After climbing it, Hiccup and Elsa follow, before frost appears and all four are knocked unconscious. **

**...**

Chapter 5

Jack Frost was never really a violent soul. He preferred mischief to fighting, jokes to reality, puns to pain. But he had a loyalty streak. And when he set out to do something, it would be accomplished, whatever the cost.

Shortly after his resurrection in that freezing lake, Jack knew that he was to serve a greater purpose. But a flower, of all things. The amnesiac winter spirit of fun was not a green thumb, that much was certain. He actually had the job of killing certain plants come that great freeze. But the Man in Moon was specific; guard the flower in whatever form it takes. Keep it safe, and it will reward you.

So Jack had watched over this flower, although in his opinion it was more of a miracle plant. It healed every injury, cured every disease. It brought light to every situation. And yet, despite his absence in the other duties he had, he had still managed to lose it. Exactly what he was warned about.

The lady was repulsive to say the least. A little known fact about immortals, they could see into any soul. And this one was disgusting. Twisted, black and filthy, there was not a compassionate or beautiful emotion to be seen. Her name was Gothel.

When she saw the flower, Jack knew that she had what she wanted. She knew exactly what she needed to do, it was as if the lady had been informed of the plants existence. She sung a song, abusing the pure power the flower had. And Jack couldn't do a thing. For the spirit had was confronting an un-pure heart, meaning that she could not see him. So he watched as the obsession continued. Every night, for decades, he watched as his sole purpose in his existance was used by a vain, spoilt being. Beings like him were not supposed to feel hate, but Jack felt that he was an exception.

As the years passed, Jack watched the world grow around him. Until the boundaries shifted and he found himself in the land of Corona. Home of a beloved King and a very sick Queen. He was more then happy to lend the flower, but the darker side of humanity refused. Gothel, the old hag, did everything in her power to hide her secret. Until the guards came by, and Jack ever so casually tipped the foliage hide covering the flower aside, exposing its radiance for all to see.

Jack was happy to see the flower sharing its beauty for good. He really was. But did they have to kill it? Watching the pregnant queen sip the tea made from his decades long mission, Jack moved to the window, a heart filled with both happiness and pain. Until a voice he had not heard for years whispered in his ear.

"Wait."

...

Jack remembered the words of Man in Moon, he knew the flower was inside the Queen, so he hid by her bedside. And when she had her child, Jack was overjoyed to see that she, a beautiful, healthy baby girl, had retained the healing powers of his flower. Then and there, watching the beautiful baby, he resolved to protect her for the rest of her days. And that day, he discovered, he had a believer, one person that could see him. He had never felt the touch of something so innocent before, something he would cherish forever.

Everything was perfect. Until Gothel returned.

There was nothing he could do. A simple breeze was enough to wake the parents nearby, but he couldn't do anything to stop his friends kidnapping. So he followed, and watched. He was there on every birthday, every holiday, he taught her everything she knew. Mother Gothel knew of him as an imaginary friend. But Rapunzel saw otherwise.

...

18 years later (present day)

When the weird strangers entered her tower, Rapunzel could only remember her Mothers fearsome tales. Stories of men that had the sharpest of teeth, who ate little children and would cut her hair. Selfish creatures with no emotion. Jack was her one exception, her only human friend in this lonely world. A world she had not left in over 18 years. Jack told her about a world of beauty, with bustling towns and castles, with more colors then she could ever make with the paints her Mother brought her. And she would find a way to explore that world, with or without her Mothers permission.

Jack nudged her as she watched the scene unfold. A guy, obviously hiding his scaly skin and pointed teeth, held a sharp axe to the throat of another. Her breath was taken away as she observed the other man in front of her. A beautiful face, as if it was chiseled from stone, with a small tuft of hair on his chin. Where were the teeth in Mother's stories?

Standing, no, trapped behind the hunk was a girl her age. She had beautiful hair, although it was much shorter than her own. But, that was odd. She had weapons. Mother said only men carried weapons like that. Someone else entered the room, another girl. She was beautiful, with platinum hair tied behind her head. She spoke to the man and Rapunzel savored the name she offered. Rider, so that was his name. He didn't seem like a Rider.

Rapunzel squealed as the other man surged forwards. Her other friend, a small and witty chameleon known as Pascal, clutched her shoulder in surprise. He seemed older then she was. But instead of seeing the horrors of the outside world, Rapunzel watched as years of practice came into affect. The girl was cut free, pulled to safety, while the hottie was shoved backwards.

Slapping her hand over her mouth, Rapunzel looked for Jack. Only to see him hand her a frying pan.

...

With great caution, Rapunzel slowly moved across the rafters. Keeping her eyes on the intruders, she began to lower herself downwards, before she slowly moved behind the man. Sticking to the shadows, she slid ever so closer. Closing her eyes, she pursed her lips and swung the improvised weapon with all her might.

CLANG!

With that sound, oh it felt good, the girl with magical hair quickly climbed back to safety. Pascal smiled, it was a job accomplished. However, that good mood slowly wore off as the remaining three invaders went back to back. Weapon ready, Rapunzel could feel her heart pounding. Never before had she felt so exhilarated, so in fear. She almost sighed in relief as an all to familiar gust of wind went by her ear. Jack was making his move.

...

Jack surveyed his soon-to-be victims as they searched everywhere for their "attacker." The man tensed as he looked in his direction. While Jack himself hid in the shadows, his element which was coincidentally his last name slowly crept towards them. A perfect distraction.

"Elsa, is that you?" the boy asked.

What was he talking about? Only Jack could manipulate ice, it seemed to be a stupid question to ask. But before he could listen any further, he watched as a thin, golden tendril of hair snagged around their ankles, promptly pulling them towards the ceiling. That looked like it would hurt.

...

Rapunzel was panting. She wasn't out of shape, years of cleaning and climbing had given her great strength, but she had never been in a situation like this one before. With a huff of exasperation, she dragged the last of the thieves over to a pile. She knew that they would be difficult to explain to her Mother, that much was certain, leaving her with few options. She could tell her Mother about the situation and possibly earn her trust, which may lead to her true dream; being allowed to see the floating lights in person. Or, she could hide them in the assorted closets around the room and hope for the best when they woke up.

The girl sighed, she knew that Jack would take her to see the floating lights. But Jack wasn't skilled in geography and neither was she, as they had remained in that tower for... well, forever.

They would need a guide to take them. And that left her either Mother, who was adamant about her staying in the tower, or their unknown intruders.

Jack floated downwards, "What do you want to do?"

The teenager shrugged, "Let's hide them. We can show them to Mother when she comes home."

...

With tremendous effort, Rapunzel managed to hide every single person into a lone closet, jamming it closed with a chair. Breathing heavily, she began to mutter.

"I have people in my closet... I, have people in my closet? I have people... in my closet!"

Swaggering over to her Mother's mirror, Rapunzel spun her "weapon."

"So you think I can't handle myself? What about now, _Mother_?"

Swinging it, she failed to notice the uncontrolled speed it was approaching. With a ringing sound, the cooking instrument hit her, eliciting a groan. Jack chuckled, leading for her to glare.

"So... We tell your Mom?"

They didn't need to wait for long, a melodious and weary voice sounded outside, "Rapunzel! Rapunzel? Let down you Hair!"

...

Jack looked at his crest fallen friend. Holding her head in her hands, Jack could only think of one solution.

Kneeling next to her, he tried a smile, "So... plan two?"

...

From the very subconscious of the brilliant mind of the young Viking, Hiccup could never stop thinking. New ideas, plans, ways to help people; Hiccup saw everything. It was both a gift and a curse. A double edged sword. He could help the world, but in the process he saw the worst that humanity could provide. Acceptance was key in almost every society he had encountered in his long time of travel, something the dragon trainer would never find.

He was an outcast, part of an endangered race, who riding a dragon. A diamond in the rough. He didn't have a lot in his life, save his friends. People who offered the one thing he never received from his home.

Hiccup's eyes were heavy. With a throbbing pulse and a pounding headache, every fiber in his body told him to lie down and let the pain overwhelm him. But he wouldn't quit. Not when he when his friends were in danger.

With unparalleled will-power, the dragon trainer awoke.

...

Struggling to keep his eyes open, Hiccup surveyed the room. Sheets of cloth hung from the rafters, with beautifully embroidered designs covering them. There was a spot light on them, coming through a small hole in the ceiling. With slowly growing realization, Hiccup froze. This was an interrogation.

He was tied to a chair, and while the knot binding him was loose, he was not going anywhere. Turning his head, he noticed that he wasn't alone. Elsa was on his right, her hands tied as well. Merida was on his left. "Flynn Rider" was behind him. At the moment, he was the only one unconscious, despite the fact that he took the brunt of their little ascension. Shaking his head, he looked for their captors.

Only to come face to face with the oddest boy he had ever seen.

...

The tall one with all the weapons was awake. One peep out of him and Rapunzel was hiding in the rafters. Jack was more open, he could afford to be. He was invisible after all. Only Rapunzel could see him.

So imagine his shock, when the boy looked him directly in the eyes and smiled. "Hello."

...

Be friendly. That was the one thought that went through Hiccups head. With his weapons gone and his friends trapped, the odds in terms of fighting were solely in the hands of their captors. So when the boy looked him in the eyes, Hiccup smiled.

"Hello."

The boy looked shocked, he backed away slowly. He was obviously coming to terms with something.

Finally, he turned his attention back to Hiccup.

Moving a finger in front of the boys eyes, Hiccup raised an eyebrow and followed it. The boy seemed to be treating him like some sort of experiment. The inventor looked on in mild irritation as the boy began to snap his fingers, making him blink furiously. Every little sound was only making his headache worse.

"Yes, I can see you. Would you mind stopping that?"

The boy finally stopped, satisfied. Shaking his head, Hiccup heard a groan behind him. Seconds later, an accented voice began to ask questions. "Hallo'?"

The teenager, with a massive grin on his face, pointed in her direction. "Can she see me too?"

Hiccup didn't even bother to answer that, obviously this kid was delusional. Merida on the other hand, was more willing to comply with an answer. Cursing loudly, she began to hop around the room, dragging all of the other captives with her. Hiccup was becoming annoyed, this was not his idea of fun.

"Merida enough! Please." The protests stopped and Hiccup was able to do a once over of the boy. Blue cloak, earthen pants, a hood. All terribly worn and torn. He couldn't be more then 18, so why was his hair white? And the staff, that belonged in a shepherds hands. All in all, an odd dressing for an even odder teenager. Then again, Hiccup didn't look much better.

"Ou' are yeh? Tien' meh up like ahm an animal?" Merida yelled, despite Hiccups command.

The boy didn't seem to take any insult; in fact, his curiosity grew. "You can see me, right?"

Merida was not amused, "O' course ah can see yeh, yeh ditz!"

When the boy jumped into the air, and rose about twenty feet, all the thoughts of a normal day for Hiccup went out the window.

...

Flynn Rider's day had turned from bad to worse. He had fought a demented horse, ran with a kicking, screaming rag-doll on his back, ascended a tower and was now tied to a chair. With a frog tongue in his ear.

"Oh, welcome to the reality." The scary guy with a hatchet offered.

Looking upwards, Flynn's voice cracked.

"Is that boy-"

"Flying? Yes, yes he is." Hatchet man provided.

Despite the fact that they both saw him, Flynn was still skeptical. They had all hit their heads; at least, he hoped they did. Perhaps he had brain damage. Good God, he was too pretty for brain damage. Struggling against the bindings on his arms, he finally gave up and looked around. He was tied to a chair, back to back with his "friends," with a flying teenager doing circles above them.

The air was getting colder, despite it being summer.

Looking behind him, he could see that everyone was awake. The Scot was grudgingly silent; as soon as he looked at her, she gave a stupendous glare. The scary guy was being patient, shutting his eyes. He had a nasty black spot on his forehead. The third lady was on his right, looking around attentively.

"The parties all here." Flynn tried. Something was odd about the bindings. For starters, they happened to be made of hair. And it was leading off somewhere.

A cough from above them caused the boy to stop his dramatic flight and drew everyone's attention.

...

"Str-Struggling is pointless..." A voice stuttered. Jack was immediately on guard. Despite the fact that he had people that could _see_ him... his duties came first. He had originally wanted Rapunzel to stay hidden, but that wouldn't get them anywhere in terms of having a guide. Shaking his head, he slowly descended.

"I know why you're here... and-and I'm not afraid of you." Rapunzel continued. Jack watched as their prisoners turned, or attempted to turn, in search of the voice.

The pretty one was surprised. "What?"

...

"What?" Flynn asked. His brain was fried, this was a little outside of his comfort zone.

Finally, he saw a silhouette, leaping downwards from above them... As _she_ stepped into the light, Flynn was speechless.

"Who are you, and how did you find me?" The most attractive lady he had ever seen was walking towards him. And he was in her hair... literally.

She repeated herself and the scary boy nudged him. Flynn needed to get out of here. He sighed, time to turn on the charm.

"I know not who you are, nor how I came to find you," The redhead scoffed and the interrogator looked confused, "But may I just say... Hi."

The weird flying boy exchanged glances with the girl and in that pause Flynn had time to gaze upon her. She was young, but hey, he could go for someone like that. He was twenty-one after all. She wore a pink dress and the bindings were part of over seventy feet of hair. Blonde, he sighed, he always had a thing for brunettes. Whatever.

"How you doing? The name's Flynn Rider." He tried again, giving a grin.

"How's your day going?"

The blonde was not amused. With a glare, she pulled out a frying pan, the same one that had injured him in the first place. Not eager to experience that situation again, he put on a somewhat serious face. Though, some flirting would never hurt anyone.

"Who else knows my location, Flynn Rider?" The girl asked again, her voice like a melody.

"All right blondie..." He wasn't exactly sure what else to say.

"Rapunzel." She supplied, becoming agitated.

"Gazundheit." He smiled, attempting to lighten the mood. It wasn't working. Let's get this over with.

"Alright then, here's the situation, I'm gallivanting through the forest, and I run across these guys," Flynn gestured to his fellow captives, "And I come across your tower, with my... Oh no, oh no, where's my satchel?"

The girl smiled, "I've hidden it, somewhere you will never find it."

Looking around the room, he saw that she glanced at something. "It's in that pot, isn't it."

He was helpless as she walked towards him, frying pan at the ready.

CLANG!

...

When she approached Elsa, she immediately put on a pacifistic look. "Wait... Wait, we're not with him. I swear."

Rapunzel raised an eyebrow, "And who would you be?"

The former princess of Arendelle composed herself, "I am Elsa. These are my friends; Merida and Hiccup."

Rapunzel didn't bat an eye at the vikings odd name, "Well, I kind of have to knock you out now. Sorry." She continued in her approach.

Elsa shook her head, "We are not enemies, we were simply travelling towards Corona to see the lantern festival."

Rapunzel froze and she exchanged glances with the boy on her left. "What did you say?"

Elsa looked at her, she had struck something, "The lantern festival, it's why we're here."

Rapunzel tucked away her frying pan and pulled her hair. Immediately, they spun around. They were free from their spots, but Flynn was still a prisoner; not anyone had a problem with that.

The maiden with seventy feet of hair climbed up to a specific curtain. Yanking on it, the room became illuminated. Windows were uncovered and light poured in from all sides. But Rapunzel didn't bat an eye, she kept climbing.

With a tug, she unveiled a final curtain, "You mean, these?"

A beautiful painting of a night sky was revealed, with hundreds of lights floating upwards in the background. Glancing at Hiccup, Elsa nodded.

Rapunzel shook with glee, "OOOOOH! You have to take me, oh please-please please-please!"

The girl was now holding Elsa's hands, shaking with delight. Elsa couldn't help smiling, the enthusiasm was contagious.

"Well..." Elsa began, smiling and glancing at Hiccup, who was helping Merida to her feet.

Hiccup, without a glance, shook his head. "I'm sorry, but we can't help you."

Elsa looked at him, as if she had misheard. But Hiccup was deadly serious.

Either way, Rapunzel had tears coming to her eyes.

...

Hiccup glanced at Rapunzel, "Listen. I would like to help. As would my friends." He gestured around. "But, well..."

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "We're... kind of lost."

Rapunzel brightened. Running forwards, the enthusiastic teenager grabbed Hiccup. "So you'll help us?"

Hiccup raised his hands, "We'd be happy to. In fact, we might need some help ourselves." He glanced at Merida.

"Even with the map though, I don't think we'll find the way in time. We're off the path, in the middle of a forest. And the only person who knows the area-"

He looked at Rapunzel and the boy, "You don't know the way, do you?"

They shook her heads, causing Hiccup to sigh. "Then the only person who could lead us to Corona... would be him."

All eyes turned to the unconscious thief on the floor.

...

Jack Frost picked up the pot that was hiding Flynn's precious satchel. "What is this, a man bag?"

Merida chuckled, "Ah wouldn' expect 'im ta be carryin' anythin' else."

The winter spirit smiled, "I'm Jack Frost."

Merida offered a hand, to which Jack shook eagerly. "Merida."

Hiccup approached, "So... Any explanation as to why you can fly?"

Jack shrugged, "I'm special."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, "That's an understatement."

The three acquaintances looked over at an approaching Rapunzel. She snatched the "man bag" out of her friends hands and opened it. Before pulling out a crown.

Elsa slowly walked towards her, "Rapunzel... I don't think you should do that."

Said person was oblivious to the rest of the room. She tried on the crown. It wasn't an anklet, that much was certain. Nor was it a bracelet, it was far to large for that. Pascal nudged his oldest friend towards Elsa.

She sighed, took the crown and placed it on Rapunzel's confused head.

Silence filled the room.

As she looked into the mirror, she noticed that it fit perfectly. It was as if it had been made for her.

A groan brought everyone out of their stunned mood. With all do haste, Elsa snatched the crown off Rapunzel's head and stuffed it in the man bag. Taking the satchel from the girl, Rapunzel raced over to a stairway. Stuffing it under a loose floor board, she brought Flynn upwards. Looking at Pascal, the little chameleon made his move.

...

A familiar wet feeling awoke Flynn. The tongue of the frog was in his ear... again. Shaking the Chameleon off his shoulder, he looked around.

"Oh come on... you're letting them go?"

Merida smiled, "Serve's ye right."

Rapunzel approached her final captive.

"Okay, now I've hidden it." Rapunzel grinned triumphantly.

Flynn rolled his eyes.

"So, what do you want with my hair? To cut it? To sell it?" The girl continued.

Briefly, he saw the scary boy lean over to the guy with the shepards crook. "Why is she so protective of her hair?"

The winter look-alike shook his head and ignored the question.

Flynn blinked, before turning back to the "conversation" at hand. "What? Sell it? No! Listen, the only thing I want to do with your hair is to get out of it... Literally!"

Rapunzel looked surprised, "So... you don't want my hair?"

Flynn shook his head, "No! Listen, I was being chased, I found a tower and I climbed it. End of story."

This lady was scaring him, "So, you're telling the truth?"

Flynn groaned in exasperation, "Yes!"

Blondie turned away and looked down, the frog in her hands. The white haired boy looked at him before walking over. Together, they began to talk.

The other scary teenager walked over, "And what about us? You just happened to drag us along?"

Flynn sighed, "I was running and you're friend got snagged on me."

The girl guffawed, "An' yeh expect meh ta' believe tha'?"

This boy seemed to have the patience of a saint. "Merida... Stop."

He turned back to Flynn. "So, care to explain why you were carrying a priceless piece of jewelry in your bag?"

Flynn shrugged, "Hey, a guys got to make a living."

The boy did not seem amused.

Flynn tried a smile; that always worked, one way or another. "So, can I get a name?"

The boy raised an eyebrow, "Hiccup."

Flynn shook his head, he must have misheard. "Pardon?"

"Hiccup" sighed. "You heard me."

Had he not been tied to a chair surrounded by armed lunatics, Flynn would have laughed. Struggling to contain himself, he looked at the others.

"And what about you beautiful ladies?"

The feisty one rolled up a sleeve, but her friend stopped her. Flynn shot her a thank-you look, to which she ignored. "This is Merida. I'm Elsa."

Flynn knew that name, Elsa, but he couldn't quite place it. His contact had spoken of a similar name in spite, something about witchcraft. He shook his head.

"Tough crowd."

Finally, Rapunzel returned. Bringing her frying pan closer to his face, the frog sat on the edge. The thing examined him with a careful eye, before his tail pointed backwards. As Rapunzel brought the reptile away, he made a startling gesture. It was eerily clear, the reptile was watching him.

...

"Okay, Flynn Rider. I am prepared to offer you a deal."

Rapunzel dragged him in a different direction, towards her painting of the floating lights. She ignored his protests and didn't even bother to right him when the chair he was sitting in fell over. Merida snorted.

Leaping upwards, she pointed to him with her frying pan. "Do you know what these are?"

Flynn looked up. She found his squished face to be kind of cute, but she ignored it. Rapunzel soon got her answer.

"You mean the lantern thing they do for the princess?"

Rapunzel shared a meaningful glance with Elsa. Continuing her formal attitude, she returned to the lights.

"Well, tomorrow night they will light the night sky with these "lanterns." You will act as my-" She paused and gestured to everyone, "Our guide, take us there and return us here safely in three days time."

She looked at the thief, watching his reaction. The growing fear was encouraging. "Then, and only then, will you receive your precious satchel. That is my deal."

Flynn put on a callous face, "Yeah... No can do." He righted himself so that he could face Rapunzel.

"Unfortunately the kingdom and I aren't chummy at the moment... So, no; I won't be taking you anywhere."

One look could tell that Rapunzel was not accepting that answer. The frog that rested on her shoulder shoved it's palms together. These animals were really starting to scare Flynn.

...

"Look _Rider_. Something brought you here, call it what you will. Fate, destiny-"

"A horse?" Flynn interrupted.

"So I have made the decision to trust you." She continued, unperturbed.

"A horrible decision really." Flynn added.

Rapunzel glared and pulled her hair. Sitting upright, Flynn Rider was brought forwards. Looking him straight in the eye, she gave her final decree.

"But trust me when I tell you this." Pulling him forwards, Rapunzel brought him just inches away from her.

"You can tear this tower apart brick by brick, but without my help, you will _never_ find your precious satchel." The frog nodded in agreement.

Flynn was dreading this. Putting his charm-mode into over drive, he cleared his throat. "Okay, I didn't want to do this to you, but... here comes the smolder."

His ace card deployed, Flynn could hope for the best. Ignoring the guffaw of the red head and Hiccup's raised eyebrow, he continued the facade. It wasn't working.

Sighing, Flynn resigned himself to his fate. "This is an off day. So let me get this straight, I take your little friends to these lanterns, bring you back here and I can have my satchel?"

Rapunzel nodded, "I promise. And when I make a promise, I never, ever go back on it."

...

Elsa's heart was aching. This girl reminded her painfully of Anna. Hiccup immediately picked up on her discomfort.

"Are you okay?" He whispered.

She could only nod, when Flynn sighed dramatically. "Fine. I'll take you to see the stupid lanterns."

Rapunzel squealed, "Really?"

In doing this, she knocked the chair over. With a yelp Flynn fell over.

"I think you broke my smolder."

A.N. So I have a beta reader... ice-princesses-1239! She'll help me improve my grammer. As for the next update, it will be soon. Probably tomorrow. Although I just got Battlefield 4 premium, so I don't know.

Next chapter, the adventure begins! Our band of misfits has finally taken form.

-Ipods-And-Buds-1239


	6. Chapter 6

**A.N. So... here we are. To be honest, I haven't had much time to play Battlefield 4. School's been piling on the work, what with all the snow days. Snow days like this one. So, I've finally updated. Sorry about the false declaration of an update, my updates are somewhat orderly. I'll do my best to make things up for everyone. On the plus side, both me and my sister have made the Honor Roll, if that gives you any clue as to why I haven't had much time.**

**So, this chapter was a bit of a conundrum. I've literally deleted two chapters worth of work attempting to word this properly. Just to make things clear, this is Hiccup centric so pardon me if I favor him over the other characters. Elsa's been tricky to write as well; I don't want to make her seem weak because she isn't, but at the same time I want to make it known that she is vulnerable. Something she will have to overcome.**

**Trader Johann will have a much more prominent role in this story; think of him as a go between for Hiccup and Berk. He'll come out more should I decide to make a sequel. I plan on elaborating the side characters to help make this a better story. Wish me luck!**

**Reviews:**

**T-Biggz: I've made Merida a bit younger due to the fact that Elsa is older and Hiccup is the same age as Elsa. I've done my best to make this an acceptable meeting between the two, it is in Toothless's point of view after all. And thanks for the compliment, I don't get gifts like that. It's people like you that make me love writing FanFiction. **

**eyes: When I read this review, I resolved to add a couple more. Hiccup and Elsa are close, that much is certain. But their relationship is budding to say the least, so I'm playing it slow. One wrong move and they might end it...**

**Sk8tr Gal: Sorry about not updating sooner... My bad.**

**Jonza: I'll do my best to update on a regular basis, this is kind of hard to balance with all the things I have going on.**

**Jebest4781: I hinted at it earlier, only those of a pure heart can see him. But there are other forces at play, they'll become prominent should I write the final book.**

**qwq qweqq: Thank you for you patience, initiative and encouragement. My friend, this chapter goes out in your honor. **

**Maximus Potter: I can't get over your name; i imagine Maximus (the horse) in wizard robes with the lightening bolt scar and those amazing glasses. Hiccup's keeping the peace, but Merida? As for the singing, it will come. Not so much now, although there is some now. It will become prominent later on. I'm imagining Hiccup's singing voice is akin to either a dying cat or Dan Reynolds; the lead singer of Imagine Dragons.**

**Zephyrus Anemoi Fiction: I've tried to limit it to about 1-3 POV's in each chapter, it's a bit difficult. I've come up with this mostly by myself, although I've had inspiration from another FanFic, it's the final author's note.**

**fanfictionmakermachine: Well... Here we are! Toothless will be making a cameo appearance in POV. Your review inspired me to write their reunion from his perspective. I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, I haven't had a lot of free time. **

**Summary: After a violent meeting spanning from a peaceful walk, Flynn Rider has all but dragged Merida into the Tower of Rapunzel. With their ambition to see the floating lights growing, Rapunzel and Jack Frost blackmail the infamous thief into guiding them. With a lost Merida, Elsa and Hiccup in tow, things promise to be interesting.**

...

Chapter 6

Elsa wasn't normally like this. She was a strong young woman, a princess, a runaway. Traveling with a shield-maiden and a viking, not to mention a dragon. But she was human.

Despite his nature, Hiccup was the most compassionate person the princess had ever seen. He was shoulder for her to cry on and a rock to cling to in hard times. Times like now.

While she was happy to have meet Rapunzel, her sheer optimism and innocence was haunting. It reminded her of Anna. Of the night she had failed to forget.

...

Flynn Rider. A name that made many a guard shudder. His skills of thievery, blackmail and other not so noble traits made him a force to be reckoned with. And now, the infamous mastermind of so many a nefarious plot was... a tour guide.

Currently, he began to descend the tower with his "guests."

The majority of his "clients" were at ground level, with Merida and Jack talking animatedly. Hiccup and Elsa were watching Rapunzel, the latter looking pained. She was hiding something, Flynn knew the feeling all to well. Perhaps he had more in common with these people then he thought. Resolving to deal with these irritating emotions at a later date, Flynn looked up.

"You coming blondie?"

Said blonde was peering over the edge. She seemed hesitant, something he could use to his advantage. A devious plan began to form in the mind of the criminal, but it would require patience. A universal trait in his line of business, but he seemed to be lacking it today.

As soon as he reached the bottom, he heard a beautiful melody. Rapunzel was singing. And while it wasn't half bad, Flynn could very clearly remember that, despite the headache, this was not in the contract.

"Look at the world- so close, and I'm halfway to it." She began, inching towards her window. Jack looked up and smiled, waving.

"Look at it all, so big, do I even dare?" Flynn rolled his eyes, this was irritating. He finally reached the bottom of the tower and approached Jack.

"Is this normal?" Flynn asked, begging for a no. Only for Jack to nod. This would be a _long_ trip.

"Look at me. There at last! I just have to do it!"

Rapunzel looked like she had made up her mind. With a flick of her hand, a cascade of hair flew out of the tower, landing in a heap on the ground. She slid down, a massive smile on her face. The girl with the hair stopped just above the ground, hesitating. Finally, she placed a foot on the ground.

"Just smell the grass!" She sang, and while Flynn wouldn't admit, she was pretty good. "The dirt! Just like I dreamed they'd be!"

"Just feel that summer breeze-" Flynn had already on his way. But he was not expecting the sudden tension in the air. Turning slowly, he froze.

"Toothless" had returned. And he was certainly not toothless.

...

Toothless was not amused. The dragon had many adventures with his scaleless companions, and he had grown accustomed to be rewarded after his many exploits. So going long without a nice, preferably fishy treat was pushing his limits. Should push come to shove, the dragon would be more then willing to forego all rewards to guarantee his friends safety. This was not one of those times.

And whatever his first rider would say, he was not carrying anymore people. Regardless of the power they exhibited or their attractiveness. When dragons found attractiveness, it was solely for reproduction. Make the obnoxious baby dragons and move on. But these humans made things much more complicated. Had he been the viking, he would have already been with the "One of ice." But the boy was just as oblivious as the girl.

Oh, the things dragons of his status had to put up with. Gronkles didn't deal with this, nor did those Nadders. But Night Furies?

As soon as he saw those other people, Toothless went on the defensive. These were unknown people, near his friends, who were not hitching free rides. No matter how many cod the gangly one fed him. Salmon would warrant possibility, but the dragon would wait for that day. He immediately leapt towards the one with facial hair; why humans enjoyed it was a mystery, the dragon could only think of the inconveniences it provided.

Jumping forwards with unparalleled grace, Toothless gave an ear piercing roar. Only for it to be returned ten-fold by the girl with too much hair. Retreating backwards, his sensitive bat-like ears throbbed. It was only more humiliating to be caught like this. Then the boy arrived. With a staff radiating power, he slowly advanced. The dragon was completely vulnerable.

It was times like this when he was happy to have the one of Berk riding him.

"Stop! Don't hurt him..." The boy raised his hands peacefully, inspiring a shocked look from Toothless's would be attacker.

The boy began to scratch the injured dragons ear. The gods must have created humans for their hands, this was why his friends were on this earth. They created, destroyed and gave back rubs that would reduce any dragon to mush. And Toothless was no exception.

The Night Fury didn't even register the sheepish but surprisingly assertive statement his rider gave. But he got the gist, "Stay away from Toothless. He's a friend."

Toothless shook his head. All dragons could understand human speech. It was just that when it came to conversation, dragons couldn't speak. And humans tended to be carrying weapons. These aspects made for war, not a casual banter about the weather.

"Toothless, this is Rapunzel, Flynn and Jack. Guys, this is Toothless."

Curses boy, this dragon was no stable horse. Peering at his riders new friends, Toothless spotted the man who attacked them earlier. Better make his point across. The dragon was fond of the girl with red hair, she gave excellent back rubs and caught him plenty of fish.

With an fierce glare and a menacing snarl, the dragon made it very clear. He was not to be trifled with.

While Toothless felt bad about scaring the girl, he was not sorry about this Rider fellow. The boy readied his staff, just as the red-head approached.

With an exaggerated hug and an excellently placed scratch under the jaw, the dragon felt pacified. Under her breath, she silently muttered, "Bite 'im later, please?"

The dragon was only to happy to grin in response. He really did like this girl.

Meanwhile, Hiccup had brought out the fish. Oh yes. This was what they bonded over. This is what solved every problem. Tossing one to the sun-kissed girl, his first two-legged friend offered him a smoked salmon. An excellent choice. If dragons had connoisseurs, Toothless would be a field leader. He could already tell that this was a fresh one.

The girl came forwards, shyly offering a sea bass. It was old, but it would do. He hadn't had lunch. With a snap, the eager flying reptile swallowed it whole. The girl smiled and offered her hand. Knowing that more humans would lead to more scratching, and more slaves, Toothless slowly complied. The thorough cry of delight was reassuring. This was a friend.

Without a second glance, she sprinted off, singing. The girl of ice tended to sing when none could hear her, but this was odd. It was if the girl hadn't just meet the offspring of lightening and death.

...

On a later note, the dragon was beginning to regret his decisions. While these people gave him amazing massages and free food, they were incredibly loud. What more, their emotions fluctuated constantly.

The boy was confusing to say the least. He followed Rapunzel closely, still wary of Toothless. If anyone should have been wary of the dragon, it would have been Flynn Rider.

...

To say that this day was going poorly for the thief extraordinaire was an understatement. Flynn Rider lost his key to a better life, his freedom and his dignity all in one go. To become the care-taker for these people, of all things. Here he was, guiding an angry dragon, a viking wannabe, a Scottish princess, a hot babe with way to much hair, a winter spirit lookalike and a conflicted royal type.

So you could imagine that Flynn resolved to make every attempt in persuading these people to drop this so called "deal" and leave him alone. And while he found the singing annoying, he could work with the constant change in attitude towards this situation. Multiple times did they stop along their walk through the forest, with the girl debating her decision.

Hiccup walked up beside him, muttering, "She's bipolar."

Turning back, they had finally found a small clearing. Merida had taken Toothless off a ways, in search of a place to catch a reward. That dragon was still freaking him out, and if it was in the company of someone who hated him, he could only imagine the anti-Rider plots the pair could be creating. They had walked a long ways when Rapunzel finally collapsed. Flynn smiled, this was his chance.

"You know, I can't help but notice that you seem a little at war with yourself here." He smiled and leaned against a rock, examining his nails.

"What?" The tear ridden girl looked up at him, he was getting somewhere, even if it was uncomfortable.

"Now, I'm only picking up bits and pieces here, of course. Overprotective mother, forbidden road trip. I mean, this is serious stuff. But let me ease your conscience. This is part of growing up. A little rebellion, a little adventure, that's good. Healthy, even." Flynn smiled, a bit of relation wouldn't hurt. Hiccup looked at him questioningly, this guy wouldn't let things go.

"You think?" Finally, he was gaining ground. Time to imbue the guilt card.

"I know. You're way over thinking this, trust me. Does your mother deserve it? No. Would this break her heart and crush her soul? Of course. But you've just got to do it." Flynn casually picked a berry, just for effect.

"Break her heart?" Rapunzel asked, this feeling of guilt was growing inside the thief.

"In half." Flynn persevered, ignoring the growing dread.

"Crush her soul?" The girl looked at her hands, she had caused this.

"Like a grape." Flynn crushed the berry, as a bit of theatrical genius.

"She would be heartbroken. You're right." Rapunzel slowly looked at him, oblivious to what he was doing. Their fellow tourists were scoffing, this was ridiculous.

"I am, aren't I? Oh, bother." Flynn chided, he had this in the bag.

"All right. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm letting you out of the deal." His new ultimatum.

"What?" The girl looked shocked.

"That's right, but don't thank me. Let's turn around and get you home. Here's your pan, here's your frog." Flynn haphazardly picked up her luggage, not that she had any.

"I get back my satchel and you get back a mother-daughter relationship based on mutual trust, and voila, we part ways as unlikely friends." This was gold, he could be on a boat by night fall.

"No. I am seeing those lanterns." Flynn couldn't believe his ears.

"Oh, come on! What is it going to take for me to get my satchel back?" He rose up, looking down at her. Arms flailing he looked around only to see Jack grinning smugly.

"I will use this." Rapunzel readied her frying pan. This wasn't working.

...

As Merida returned with Toothless, Hiccup knew that things were going south at an unparalleled speed. It was obvious that Elsa was struggling, judging from the descriptions of her sister. The similarities were clear; it was as if Anna and Rapunzel were related. Said teenager had collapsed, the grief of disobedience getting to her. And here was Rider, attempting to take advantage of it.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he walked towards the girl. Elsa looked at him oddly, but didn't say anything.

Glancing at Elsa, he cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention.

"I think Flynn might be on to something."

Merida's eyes widened at him with a glint of betrayal, but he continued unphased. "A little rebellion wouldn't hurt anyone."

Jack, who had been comforting his friend, looked up. Hiccup hauled the boy to his feet and offered a hand to Rapunzel. Slowly, almost reluctantly, she took it. And immediately hid behind him. A nearby bush began to jump and quake and Rapunzel began to stutter.

"Is it ruffians, thugs? Thieves; come to take me away?"

Judging from Toothless's lack of reaction, it was none of those things.

A small, cotton tailed rabbit slowly came forwards. Looking up at them with drowsy eyes, Hiccup felt a pang of remorse; Merida had killed a lot of those things in order to feed everyone.

As it darted away, Flynn smiled, "While that was nice; it would probably be wise to avoid ruffians and thugs."

Hiccup could only nod, it was true. Sow when he saw the triumph in the thieve's eyes, he knew something was afoot.

"Are you hungry? Cause I sure am. Hey, I know the perfect place to eat, what do you say?"

Dragging a bewildered Jack, Flynn Rider lead the down beat group onto a worn dirt path.

...

Long ago, a small inn rested along the forest path. It saw a great deal of traffic and there was profit to be made. A premature sapling stood nearby, a tiny little swing hanging on the highest branch. It was picturesque. But as time went on, that tree grew. And eventually, the entire inn sat on a slope. Within a few hundred years, the entire building was tilted, hanging precariously on its precipice. It had changed from noble business to catering questionable characters... people just like Flynn.

This was his last chance, if he couldn't ditch them here, there would be no chance of leaving. Slowing to a stop, Flynn smiled under his breath; they had arrived.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the charming thief waved his hand, turning to a huffing Rapunzel and an annoyed Merida, "The Snuggly Duckling."

While Hiccup and Elsa looked doubtful, they held their breath. Rapunzel on the other hand, was ever the optimist. "Well... I do love ducklings."

What he wouldn't give for that crown. Giving an over-exaggerated girlish squeal, Flynn raised his arms. "Yay!"

Grabbing Rapunzel and Jack, he shoved them through the open front door, despite their protests. He could tell from the stunned silence that this was working. As he ushered an the reluctant Merida in, he could tell that the dragon was un-amused. Despite the fact that is was supposed to be "friendly," he didn't want to deal with the stresses of introducing a creature of legend.

"Oh no, you overgrown lizard... you're staying out here."

Said lizard glared and Flynn could quite clearly see intelligence in its eyes. In a fight, this would be a deadly enemy. And at the moment, he was blocking the story-book monster from completing its goal. As the dragon raised a clawed paw, Flynn swore.

"Sorry Toothless, but he's right." The thief had never felt more relieved. Putting a hand on the snout of the beast, Flynn could see a bond that spoke louder then words. Almost instantly, with hesitance evident, the dragon sulked back into the woods. Sighing in relief, Flynn looked at Hiccup. Only to see that his attention was elsewhere. The other lady was wandering around. Something had caught her eye.

Waving a hand submissively, Hiccup walked over to her. While that gesture did not appeal to Flynn, it wasn't the time to chaste the boy. Now was the time to capitalize on the denizens of the outside world. And maybe, just maybe, end this whole shenanigan before it was too late.

...

With hesitant steps, the rest of the world seemed but a mere distraction for Hiccup. Elsa had stopped in front of a large board. Covering the giant oaken slab were pictures; most of which were wanted posters.

Elsa didn't give much more then a forlorn smile when her friend stood next to her. Aside from the multitude of Flynn Rider posters, none of which captured his nose correctly; there were a large amount of missing posters. Little snapshots of happy families and beloved friends painted a collage of a better life. All at once, everything seemed to hit home for Hiccup's oldest human friend.

"Why... Why me, out of everyone. Why me?"

Hiccup would have normally returned a witty and sarcastic remark, but that was not going to help right now. With Elsa in this state, an infrequent one albeit, delicacy on par with the forging of fine jewelry was necessary. Resolving to stay silent, he gave her a look, to ensure that she had his attention.

The princess swallowed, "Why do I have this curse? Me... why do I have to lose everything?"

Clenching her fists, Elsa shook visibly. Even with those disgraceful gloves, Hiccup could feel the temperature drop to a freezing level.

Uncertain of what else to do, the inventor placed a hand on her shoulder. She didn't seem to notice. It was times like this that Hiccup dreaded. When Elsa would bottle everything up inside; wavering in her attempts to fit in. Hiccup was all to familiar with the feeling. Sighing loudly, he rubbed her back in soothing circles. Ignoring the uncomfortable environment, the young viking chuckled.

Elsa gave him a questioning look, "Elsa... these powers, this so called curse; it all happens for a reason."

She turned her attention back to the board, "But why me?"

Hiccup shrugged, "Why was I the one to shoot down Toothless? Why was I the first one to ride a dragon... that we know of." He smiled.

"Why did Merida crash into us... hel, why was I the one to crash into your tower?" he continued.

Elsa smiled slightly, although it retained a depressing air. "You were riding a dragon."

Hiccup cracked a smile and pointed knowingly, "Exactly, why me? Out of every single person I've ever know, I've always been different. Be it intellect or lacking physical aptitude, I've always struggled to fit in. Three hundred years of viking tradition and I'm the first person who couldn't kill a dragon. It's times like this when I want to collapse and cry, and there is no shame in that. Sure, it goes against viking ideals, but I was never one for coloring inside the lines. The point is, things happen for a reason. We can't change that. So why cry over spilled yak-nog?"

Elsa grinned, causing Hiccup to grin, "No offense Hiccup, but I believe that few people would cry over something like that."

The viking shrugged slightly, "It made you laugh, that's what counts."

Turning his attention back to the board, the viking smiled sadly, "Things happen for a reason, Elsa. This will never change, but that never really bothered me. What really matters though, is what we choose to make of this hardships. Sure you have powers, but I have a dragon. We've gone against every single rule, law and custom in the cultures we grew up in, and I wouldn't change that for the world."

Elsa turned to him. Smiling softly, Hiccup could see a twinkle, a small snowflake in her eyes. Grasping his hand, she gave it a squeeze. "You mean it?"

Hiccup sighed in exasperation, "Of course I do, would I lie to you?"

Elsa smiled slightly. Punching his shoulder lightly, she looked back at the posters. "That's for leading me on..."

Hiccup sighed inwardly, were all women violent? Suddenly, he was pulled out of his thoughts.

A soft, warm tingle was felt on his lips. It was fleeting, almost rushed. But Hiccup wouldn't have traded it for anything. Elsa was blushing furiously and Hiccup could already feel the blood rushing into his ears.

Brushing a stray streak of platinum blonde hair behind her ear, Elsa smiled shyly, "And that was for... well... everything else."

Giving his hand another squeeze, Hiccup could barely suppress the dumbfound sound threatening to make itself known. Resolving to turn his attention back to the posters, Hiccup memorized every detail. One of which caught his eye.

With a free hand, Hiccup pulled a single, loose piece of tattered parchment out from underneath the rabble. A single, familiar face greeted him, wild red hair and all.

...

Confusion was the one feeling he could muster. Elsa snatched the paper from his hands. Obviously it was on the older side, with the stained paper close to decay. But the writing was easy to interpret.

With an unwavering hand, the strengthened Elsa Hiccup knew and loved surged forwards, "Wanted alive... Merida Dunbroch, crowned princess of the Scottish throne."

Hiccup looked at the picture. Sure enough, Merida looked right back at them; slightly more civilized, but it was her.

"So... I've managed to somehow befriend two princess's... how would that look in the eye of justice?"

Elsa nudged him, "In the event of her safe and unharmed return, by decree of the royal family of Dunbroch, the finder of this royal figure with receive 150,000 gold pieces for their efforts to ensure peace and prosperity."

Underneath it was an official stamp, depicting the solaris of Corona. "This is real stuff." Hiccup swallowed slowly.

Elsa raised an eyebrow, "Having second thoughts?"

Shaking his head, Hiccup steeled his nerves, "Never."

Smiling, Elsa peered into the stack. "I wonder what else we're missing... perhaps Rapunzel is the lost princess of Corona."

Sharing a chuckle, the pair turned away, oblivious to the lost and torn scroll on the ground.

"Wanted Alive.

Princess Elsa of Arendelle of the royal throne.

In the event of her safe and unharmed return, by decree of the royal family of Arendelle, the finder of this royal figure will receive 500,000 gold pieces for their efforts to ensure peace and prosperity."

...

Walking in on utter mayhem was not a fun moment for Hiccup. At the moment, the viking was holding a gross apparition of what appeared to be a cupid... at least, an elderly, drunken cupid who was eyeing Elsa. Tossing him aside, Hiccup put his arm around Elsa protectively. He knew this wasn't necessary, Elsa was strong enough to look after herself and in the event of a fight she would freeze every single person in their tracks... literally.

But he couldn't help it. And with the lack of protest from Elsa, Hiccup could afford this. Sneaking up behind Merida, he immediately tugged on her hood. She turned to pummel the unlucky soul, but brightened significantly. Smiling in greeting, Hiccup returned it and held up the poster. Immediately faltering, Merida smile slowly turned.

"Care to tell us what else you're hiding, princess?" Hiccup asked politely.

...

Flynn noticed out of the corner of his eye that the lanky one and his girlfriend had returned. Good, they could help him. Currently, he had his arms pinned in every single direction by thugs that were eager to turn him in for the cash reward that would be guaranteed to make someone rich beyond their wildest dreams. Hanging from a coat rack, Flynn looked around sheepishly. Any time would be fine for his passengers to step in.

"Hook-Hand" stepped forwards, his namesake glistening. "What about you, do you have a dream?"

This day was beginning to scare Flynn. Singing thugs speaking of dreams about pianos and romance had worn him out.

Shaking his hands, the thief offered a smile. A smile fixed everything of course; they hid everything. "Sorry?"

Hook-Hand growled, "I said, what about you?"

Flynn waved his hands sluggishly, "Sorry guys, but I don't sing."

Immediately, every sword, axe, spear, knife and assorted kitchen utensil was pointed in his direction. With his reputation in a nosedive, Flynn's smile grew overly cheery.

"I have dreams, like you - no, really!" The pretty boy was grasping for straws, he needed to get out of here alive. An idea occurred.

"Just much less touchy-feely" Wrapping an arm around an innocent bystander, he grinned sheepishly. Making his way over to the behemoth named Vladimir, Flynn took his... ceramic unicorn, ignoring the menacing glare he received.

"They mainly happen somewhere warm and sunny." Taking a bowl full of the most disgusting slop known to man, Flynn delicately placed the piece of art on top of what appeared to be oatmeal. In his imagination, a paradise.

"On an island that I own, tanned and rested and alone!" He could feel strong hands grasping his limbs, not again.

Trapped by thugs, he finished his song on a high note. "Surrounded by enormous piles of money!"

Tossed aside, a whirlwind of fire, barrels and thief greeted him. This was not normal.

...

"Ah... Ah was going to tell yeh. Ah'm so sorr'ie, Ah was jus-" Merida attempted to explain, yelling to be heard of the cacophony of noise around them. Hiccup could barely pick out her accent among the crowd. Rapunzel and Jack were dancing on a table, oblivious to the fact that not every thug and denizen to society acted this way. Nevertheless...

Elsa smiled and placed a comforting hand on her friends shoulder, "I don't see why this is such a big deal."

Merida sniffled, this was new. "Wha-wha'?

Elsa nudged Hiccup, she was doing that a lot. "You're still you."

Hiccup shrugged, "Fair enough."

Turning back to the scene that few would believe even after seeing, Hiccup could barely detect the slowly approaching figure behind them. A hand found his shoulder and Hiccup immediately had his knife at the strangers throat. Wide eyes meet wide eyes and the knife was slowly lowered.

"Hiccup?" Trader Johann muttered in question, the familiar turban and fine silken robes glistening in the candlelight.

...

Ignoring the questioning looks from his friends, Hiccup immediately clasped the mans hands, "Trader Johann?"

No ill will had been lost between the friends even after Hiccup's absence.

The man shook his hands eagerly, "Son, I was never expecting you of all people to be here..." He caught sight of the Elsa and Merida.

"And in such company." Offering a bow, he was greeted with a stiff nod from Elsa and a grunt from Merida. His eyes lingered curiously.

"My boy, may I offer you a drink?" The speaker of many tongues waved his hand to a vacant booth.

While Elsa and Merida shook their heads in decline, Hiccup slowly nodded. "Sure, I don't see why not."

The young viking was all but dragged aside as his friends looked on in surprise.

...

"So, whats a fine, strapping man doing in an establishment like this?" Trader Johann offered a mug, to which Hiccup declined with a wave of his hand.

"Sorry, I don't drink." Johann raised an eyebrow.

"You're a peculiar one, Hiccup. A viking that doesn't drink, travelling underground with two princesses."

Hiccup sputtered and Johann smiled. "How did I know? well, other then their regal attitudes, I do suppose that words gets around. I am a merchant you know."

The pair's gaze drifted to Elsa, who was watching the odd group singing about their hopes and dreams. It was relieving, to see hope in such a place.

Noticing that his old friends gaze drifted for a few seconds longer then necessary, Johann smiled, "I'm sure your Father would be proud."

Surprise aside, Hiccup immediately sobered up. "No, he wouldn't."

The mood seemed to plummet.

Hesitating, the former resident of Berk slowly looked down. "How is it there?"

Johann took another sip of his mug, "Not good. Those raids are increasing. And to be frank, they've renounced your birth right."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, "Good. I don't want to be chief."

Johann looked around, "They're giving it to Snotlout."

Hiccup gave a bitter chuckle. "Then they'll go out with a bang."

Johann raised an eyebrow, "You know, there is still time, you can still-"

He stopped when He saw Hiccup shaking his head.

"I've made my decisions. I'm here, this is my life now." His gaze drifted to Merida, then to Elsa, "I have responsibilities."

Nodding slowly, Johann emptied his mug, "I see... You know, there is a price on your head."

Hiccup looked up. "Sorry?"

Johann sighed, "You heard me. Your exits weren't exactly stealthy. They don't know who "kidnapped" those princess's. But anyone seen in their company will have hel to pay for their disappearance."

Hiccup sighed, "I've known Elsa for seven years. I'm not leaving her now. Both of them left by their free will... politics and the like."

Johann smiled, "Here's to the politics that make all the little things happen."

Hiccup sighed and raised a hand.

Johann smiled, "I here you've been earning quite the reputation."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

Johann grinned, "You heard me. Just rumors from the ports, a lone shadow glistening in the night sky, sprinting across the stars. A beast and its rider... or riders should I say."

Hiccup muttered, "Beast... his name is Toothless."

Johann sputtered, "Toothless?!"

Before he could question further, Johann took on a look of horror. Dragging Hiccup to his feet, he shoved the boy behind the counter. When his friends moved to assist him, Johann guided them beside him.

Moments later, the door was abruptly thrust open. A muscular man stepped forwards, a grin plastered on his face. "I've found the guards!"

Armed men in golden battle armor with halberds in hand and swords on waist flooded into the room.

...

This was not an easy day. First the demonic horse, blondie, Frosty, scary boy with a hatchet, murderous Scot with a bow, singing thugs, lost satchel and now the armed guards. They were trapped... this was it. If they were found, it was straight to the ghettos. For the crimes of his magnitude, Flynn would hang, no questions asked, no trial whatsoever.

Dragging the singing, hair-cutting phobic and the winter spirit look-alike downwards, he crouched behind the lone bar counter. Finding it occupied, Flynn sighed in both relief and exasperation. He hadn't been able to shake his other three passengers. Peeking over the counter to survey the situation, things were getting grimmer by the second.

Twenty guards had entered the bar, one bringing up the rear escorting two all-to familiar souls into the room. The Stabbingtons, palace guards and thugs. All in search of him. Wonderful.

With a sigh, he reclined against the wooden frame of their concealment. This really was it.

A sudden whisper caught their attention. Hook-Hand was looking their way. With a smile, he pulled a single lever, opening a virtually silent trapdoor.

"I believe this is the guy you're searching for." Vladimir held what appeared to be a drunken elderly cupid in his hand. They were stalling the guards... for him?

Hook-Hand looked down the path, "Go, live your dream."

Flynn couldn't believe it, "I-I will."

The thug glared, "Your dream stinks, I was talking to her."

Of course. "Right."

Lowering himself downwards into the darkened passage, Flynn barely had enough time to dodge the falling redhead. Glimmering in the torchlight, it was obvious that this was once a mine shaft, all but abandoned. Elsa was next, lowering herself with practiced grace.

He could see the Hiccup guy talking in a furious and questioning voice with someone. Obviously something about passing on a message to some guy named "Stoick" and talking later. Now was not the time. Grabbing the boy by his boot, he pulled; hard. Shoving him down the hall, he could see Rapunzel kissing the thug on the cheek. While it was cute, Flynn couldn't help but feel a little jealous. It was an odd feeling, really.

With Jack Frost bringing up the rear, Flynn took the lead, walking alongside Rapunzel. A dark abyss awaited them, an uncharted labyrinth of tunnels that, one lost in, would ensure that one would never see the light of day again.

"Well... Onwards then." Flynn heaved out a sigh, before shoving his way to the front and striding forwards, bent on getting out of here as soon as possible.

A.N. Like I said above, I wish to recommend a FanFic. Bravely Tangled up with Dragons by the writer x-X-The D'Arch Angel-X-x. I started reading this Fanfic over two years ago on Halloween night. My first encounter with what would later include Jack Frost; Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons. So in a way, you guys owe it to this story as my inspiration. Go ahead and give it a read if you like.

In brutal honesty, I have no clue when I might get another moment to update. It could be this evening, or the next morning, or a week from now. Rest assured though, I will never abandon this story. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

And on a final note... It's my birthday.

-Ipods-And-Buds-1239


	7. Chapter 7

**Band of Misfits: Taking Flight chapter 7**

**A.N. So... here we are! Thanks to the snow, I've got some time to update. This chapter was finally finished yesterday, after my shoveling of the driveway. And to be honest, it was worth it. I'm now ten dollars richer, ten dollars to my awesome airsoft loadout. Which is taking much longer then it should to put together. But it will be worth it.**

**As for the chapter, I've been thinking long and hard about this series. I want every chapter to be decent and enticing to you guys, so I hope you enjoy!**

**Reviews:**

**GingerTyPerior: Thank you!**

**RisingSolstice: Well, the next chapter is going to be true bonding. As for a prison break, there will be one. Although it's going to be a bit... tense, and to be honest I'd love to try some make some concept art in the form of a wanted poster. I've been playing a little too much Borderlands 2, so sue me.**

**fanfictionmakermachine: So we share a birthday? Wow... that's awesome! And I didn't realize that until you pointed that out to me, now that you mention it; the kiss thing. As for Gothel, yeah, she's a bad one. This series will have quite a few.**

**Jebest4781: Next chapter will be bonding, something I can't wait to write. But for now, let's have some action.**

**Bigby the Big Bad Wolf: I am most glad of this fact.**

**Naruto Son Of Artemis: Later on I hope that my readers have a few of the facepalm/OMG moments that everyone loves. This series is coming together well in my opinion.**

**qwq qweqq: ... Curses! I didn't realise that until you pointed that out. Chock it up to my stupidity or sheer excitement in writing, I'll make a oneshot in dedication to you about the origins of Band of Misfits: Yaknog. This I swear. Sorry about the wait, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**jonza: I hope this is enjoyable!**

**KC Pendragon: Thank you! As for Anna, not yet mate... but she will, I have quite the idea on tying all the lose ends together. Probably after the second book in this series.**

**ivanganev1992: Надявам се, че това ви удовлетворява, аз трябваше да изпълня този през Google Translate, защото аз не говоря български. Само да знаете, че това е първия преглед Получавал съм на език, различен от английски, поздравления!**

**Cottonmouth25: Well I aim to please, I'll keep updating to the best of my ability. Hope you like the chapter!**

**TimberlineWolf: I'm trying to tie this all together in a way that makes the mouths of my readers drop; everything will have meaning and link! Thanks for the review, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**ThatGalladeAcrossTheStreet: When I saw your name, I wanted to smack my head against a wall; Gallade is my favorite pokemon. Have you read Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: To a Conquering of Spacetime by Empyrean Philharmonic? You might enjoy it, it's GalladexGardevoir. I took the liberty of looking over your profile, hope you like the chapter!**

...

Chapter Seven

...

A warm, pungent smell wafted into Elsa's nose. Water drops fell from maturing stalactites, their patter echoing around the cave. The foreboding feeling was only masked by Rapunzel's excited chattering. Jack walked silently next to her; Elsa wasn't sure about her thoughts surrounding the boy. He was odd, that was certain enough. Be it in his appearance or the hidden aura of power that he held; she could understand why he was quieter. He had a loyalty towards Rapunzel, but he didn't seem to see any of them as threats. This fierce naivety could come back to haunt him.

Elsa hoped that this wouldn't happen; there was precious little innocence left in the world.

Stepping down the damp tunnel, Elsa adjusted her coat. After her departure, the first task she accomplished was finding new clothing. A thin, naval blue woolen overcoat with a couple black buttons; thin tanned pants and a hood. Knee high buckled boots that allowed her to traverse any terrain. Practical and inconspicuous, hardly the dress of a former princess. That was not her life, this was what she lived for.

She tuned out the excited squealing, the headache from her earlier incarceration pounding. She hadn't felt this way since her little run in with Merida's horse.

As she remembered Hiccups encounter with "Johann," she could only recall Arendelle. She wondered what had become of her kingdom. Had Anna been declared the new queen? She could only hope that good had found her sister, that that Hans man had failed to make the right impression on her parents. He wasn't approaching her sister with the best intentions, it was obvious that he was using her.

Squeezing Hiccup's hand, she looked him in the eye; ignoring his blush. She couldn't help it, the guy was everything she found nice. Humble, comforting, sarcastic, smart... he knew her.

"So... who was that?" She asked quietly, scarcely heard above the Flynn's questioning towards Rapunzel.

Hiccup smiled slightly, "That was an old friend. Trader Johann knew my Mom, they were close friends. He was the only one who knew about my disappearance... Well, about the exact details anyways."

He paused and looked down, "He told me about Berk. He-He wanted to pass on a message. They've disgraced me; I'm guess I'm an outcast. But there are political loop holes; theoretically I could return home with amnesty. They think I'm dead, Johann was talking to me before Flynn pulled me down."

He glanced at the thief, who was oblivious.

"Apparently that won't be the case for long."

Elsa looked down. "What does that mean for us."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, "Nothing. Nothing is going to change. If they come anywhere near us, things are going to burn."

With a smile, Elsa looked at him. "You sound kind of like Merida."

The pair shared a glance at the fiery youth, she was walking along with a certain spring in her step.

Hiccup shook his head, "Who would have thought that she was a princess?"

Elsa smiled, "To be honest, I'm not to surprised."

Hiccup shrugged, "I guess your're right... we have seen weirder."

...

Jack Frost was excited, he hadn't left that tower in over 18 years. The winter spirit had neglected sleep, food and all forms of rest for the entire duration of his task. His sole purpose was to guard that flower, it was one of the few things he took seriously.

The world was much bigger then he remembered, it was brighter too. The sun was especially kind to Corona, it was the name of the kingdom after all. An adventure was something he would always look forwards too. Despite his commitment to the task, Jack couldn't help it; he was anxious. This was his freedom, his time to explore. He didn't want to say it, but he was a free spirit. There was a reason he was friends with the wind.

Their motley crew was a bonus, Merida was quite cute. That rebellious attitude suited him well. He liked that in a girl. But still...

The Flynn Rider fellow, he wasn't completely comfortable around yet. Be it the constant attempts to escape them or his cruel remarks, he was definitely a downer on their attitude. And the immortal teenager didn't like that look he gave Rapunzel when he saw her for the first time. Still, the singing was fun. If only everyone could see him. Why these people could was a mystery, and while Jack wasn't foolish, he couldn't come up with a reason for this phenomenon.

Perhaps that Hiccup guy could help him; he seemed pretty smart. Hiccup and Elsa seemed close, Jack liked the pair.

As he tuned back in to the situation at hand, he couldn't help but notice the finer details of this hollowed out tract of underground real estate. Those stalactites were pretty cool, as were the spider webs. Rapunzel had faced bigger arachnids in her endless struggle to maintain the finely cleaned tower that her Mother had built. He liked the sparkling rocks in the walls, he couldn't get over those.

Falling back on the geology book his friend had always carried around, he struggled to recall them. Crystals, something like that. He was so enraptured by the beauty of the tiny rocks glittering in the torch light, he didn't give any thought to the slowly growing activity behind them.

...

Hiccup noticed it immediately. Pausing with an almost delicate stance, he looked back. His friends slowly noticed.

Elsa looked down the path. "What is it?"

Hiccup's hand slowly moved down to his waist. With care, he pulled out his hatchet. He could hear Merida drawing her bow. The ground was vibrating, rocks began to fall from the ceiling. Something was coming, and it was fast. As a glaring torch flickered into view, Hiccup could see the outlines of a soldier.

"Rider!" An enraged guard shouted.

Hiccup sprung into action. Pushing everyone in the right direction, he helped Flynn gather Rapunzel's locks. "Go!"

Hauling the unnecessarily long hair down the hall, the group burst into the light.

...

It was a dead end. A shabby dam was slowly decaying under the sheer pressure of the water behind it. Hiccup's thorough but self-taught education in engineering had already pointed out multiple flaws that, should they be damaged, would unleash quite a bit of water. They stood on a small but sheer cliff that prevented any attempt to reach ground level. This was problematic.

Looking around, he saw a collapsed rope bridge that, had it still stood, would be their salvation. There was a small stabilizing port that stood well above them, Hiccup already had a plan.

As their pursuers closed in, a fair bit of shouting erupted below them. Two men with quite a bit of weaponry busted their way into the valley below them from an abandoned passage. As they pointed in Flynn's direction, Flynn groaned.

...

"Who are they?" Rapunzel asked.

Flynn pointedly shrewdly in the direction of his former allies, "They don't like me."

The unsheathing of metal caught everyone's attention. Turning around, the same group of soldiers from the Snugly Duckling slowly approached them. Twenty warriors, armed to the teeth, fell into rank behind a man with a well groomed mustache.

"Oh I've waited a long time for this." The man declared, a sinister look in his eyes.

"Who's that?" Rapunzel repeated, exasperation seeping into her voice.

"They don't like me either."

A monstrous sound that made Flynn's blood run cold echoed from the tunnel. Seconds later, a white stallion leapt from the darkness.

The demon from the fiery pits of the underworld had returned.

...

With their group running out of options, Hiccup twirled his hatchet, taking the lead. Standing between his friends and the guards, he glared.

A knife in the other hand, the viking took a defensive stance. He braced himself, this would not be pretty.

It seemed that he was not the only one who was on the move.

"Take this!" Rapunzel said with surprising authority.

A huff from Flynn and she was off, swinging from the ramparts using her hair. While this was unexpected, it seemed to be working.

Hiccup could feel Merida's hands on his back, he could hear the twirling of the grappling hook and it's cutting flight through the air. The resounding thud of it's three pronged hook finding purchase.

Glancing backwards, Hiccup caught Elsa's eye. She seemed reluctant to leave him, but he waved his hand. She wasn't safe here, the former princess was his utmost priority. Turning back towards his opponents, the viking steeled himself. Twenty men, armed with an assortment of weapons. And here he was, taking them on single highhandedly. A shrill yelp warned him that this was not the case.

Flynn Rider stood behind him, holding Rapunzel's frying pan. This just got better and better.

The lead guard approached, his distinct emblem emboldened on his chest plate. An experienced fighter, he had years of combat under his belt. Combat against desperate thugs. Not Hiccup.

With a lunge, a short sword came dangerously close to Flynn's arm.

...

The flashing of steel was not something Flynn enjoyed. His activities were best conducted in the dark, away from prying eyes and prejudiced guards. When the sword came down, Flynn felt that he was done for.

Only to hear metal on metal. Slowly opening his eyes, he could see a rigid Hiccup holding the sword in place. With a determined glare, the man drew back and slammed his closed fist in the guards face.

That did not look like a pleasant experience.

As the rest of the guards closed in, Flynn dodged a halberd. While he didn't like fighting, he wasn't completely incompetent.

Swinging upwards, the thief caught a soldier under the chin in a vicious uppercut with his cooking utensil. The effect shortly followed, the guard slumped into the dirt. Ducking and weaving under the arms of their attackers, Flynn couldn't help but notice the slowly growing body count.

There were no casualties, thank goodness; Flynn would like to avoid becoming a killer.

But the amount of unconscious men at their feet was astounding. While he was breathing hard, that Hiccup kid could fight. Whirling like a demon, the warrior ducked under perfect stances, taking advantage of weak points few men could exploit.

Shaking his head, Flynn didn't notice the man approaching him from behind. As the sword came down, the thief was oblivious.

The whisper of a bowstring pierced the air and moments later a the clatter of a knife drew the thief's attention. A guard was clutching his hand in pain.

Looking around, Flynn noticed that blondie was descending to the canyon floor. Elsa was on the ground already, distracting the Stabbingtons. And a certain ginger haired Scot was waving, a bow in her hand. That was a decent shot to say the least.

"Flynn, focus." Hiccup grunted, parrying a blow and entering a power struggle with a guard. Lashing out with the pan of power, the thief knocked their final opponent into a heap on the ground. Ignoring the doubled over Hiccup, Flynn twirled his new best friend.

"Oh, I have got to get me one of these!" Noticing a flicker of movement, Flynn took a fencing stance; bravado flowing through his veins.

Only to see their newest enemy. And though he would deny it, the thief whimpered.

...

As Hiccup stood up, he shook his head; had he really come this far from being the clumsy footed blacksmith that had caused unparalleled catastrophes? No offense, but the inventor was doubting that any of his fellow vikings could handle a fight like that.

A look akin to that of a Monstrous Nightmare greeted him. Flynn whimpered, and Hiccup slowly retook his stance.

In front of him stood a white stallion. That was where all normality ceased. In its teeth sat a particularly sharp sword with a wicked point.

With a whiny that paralleled that of a predator, the beast lunged.

...

Jack heard a most peculiar sound. Turning around, he could see the fight of the century taking place, but that wasn't his priority.

Two armed men with hideous scars were taking ground in his direction. And by default, Rapunzel's direction as well.

Twirling his staff, the winter spirit smirked; time to have fun.

Taking flight, Jack did a loop around the men, who were oblivious though their impending mishap. Gently tapping his staff against a puddle of water with utmost delicacy, the men failed to notice the frozen patch of footing underneath them.

Immediately, the thieves slipped, it was quite amusing really. Ice was slowly coating the ground and there was no clear source, their faces were priceless. Almost immediately, they looked at Elsa and frowned.

It seemed that they were thinking. And when they came upon a look of recognition, Jack knew that something else was at play.

...

Hiccup's defense was slowly crumbling, the sheer ferocity of the blows became too much to handle. Flynn's shrieking was not helping. Parrying each and every blow, it was no question; their tour guide had every reason to be afraid of this animal. An intelligence not unlike that of Toothless's was obviously in place.

"Hey!" A voice called to them. Second later, Flynn hollered as he was wrenched away, a thin stream of sun-kissed hair wrapped around his ankle. While there was a momentary lapse of silence, the creatures sole attention was now on him. It was time to run.

Taking a pause at the horse confusion, the viking turned and, showing little hesitation, jumped.

...

Sloping downwards, Hiccup grit his teeth; this wasn't his best plan. There was a small, thin curve in architecture of a structural support.

With perfect timing, the warrior executed a flip, taking full advantage of a slick surface to stall his momentum. Catapulted into the air, Hiccup managed to land on a small platform. His legs screamed in protest, but he was safe.

For the moment of course.

Turning back, he could observe the horse. As it took to glaring back, the menace immediately began to pound on a vital column in an effort to knock it over; this dam was going to come down. What worse, the guards were awakening.

Whirling around, Hiccup found a small run off slide that transported water into an aqueduct; presumably towards the city. His only way down. With a shout, the boy jumped, skidding down. The cracking of wood behind him was not a good sign. Reaching a break in the structure, he made a final leap.

As he pirouetted in midair, he caught sight of water, as far as the eye could see, accelerating towards them. Of course, this was not going well.

Turning back, he aimed directly at one of the thugs. It was an excellent choice, Hiccup lost his momentum and rolled to a stop. Not skipping a beat, he grabbed Elsa and looked for any form of shelter. Rapunzel waved and started to run towards a small mine shaft.

Pushing everyone into action once again, Hiccup scarcely contained his fear. Lunging into the entrance, the viking narrowly avoided a massive piece of debris that had just barricaded their route inside.

Turning in relief, Hiccup instantly picked up on a feeling of fear. Further down the path, a solid wall of stone from an old cave-in was sealing off their only possible escape. Dread crept into Hiccups heart as he felt the cool, eerie feeling of water brush at his ankles.

...

Brushing past Jack, Elsa could scarcely contain herself. They were trapped, that much was certain. The sunlight was slowly fading, soon it would be too dark to see.

She could scarcely pick out Hiccup and Flynn's frantic clawing at the rocks sealing them in their stone coffin. It was becoming futile, there was simply to much debris. Flynn gripped his hand and cried out, a thin cut slowly coming into existence.

Slowly, almost uncertainly, Elsa placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder.

Her closest confident turned, his eyes filled with desperation.

She pulled him close, and he did the same. This was it, they were going to die.

...

Collapsing, Elsa buried her face into the crook of Hiccups neck.

She whimpered; not because of her impending end, but because of the things she had failed to do. She had never made reconciliation with Anna; this would haunt her.

It was pitch black, there was no way to tell who was who in the darkness. All she knew that Hiccup was right next to her, and that was all that mattered.

Slowly, Merida began to cry. It started as nothing more then a whimper, before it grew. Louder, and louder; there was no way to drown it out. The water was at their knees now.

Elsa gripped Hiccups arm like a vice, making her way towards the Scottish princess. Reaching out, she could feel Merida's trembling body. Almost immediately, the teenager latched on to her; a final comfort in a time of need.

Hiccup wrapped the trio in his arms. Merida continued to cry, and Elsa couldn't stop herself.

Slowly, she began to stroke the young maidens hair.

"When the cold wind is a calling  
And the sky is clear and bright,  
Misty mountains sing and beckon,  
Lead me out into the light."

Merida mourning slowly began to turn from a raging river into a slow trickle. This song was hurting Elsa, but Merida needed it.

"I will ride, I will fly,  
Chase the wind and touch the sky,  
I will fly,  
Chase the wind and touch the sky."

Flynn Rider was silent, as was Jack Frost and Rapunzel.

"Where dark woods hide secrets,  
And mountains are fierce and bold,  
Deep waters hold reflections,  
Of times lost long ago."

Hiccup squeezed Elsa's hand, the princess needed it.

"I will hear their every story,  
Take hold of my own dream,  
Be as strong as the seas are stormy,  
And proud as an eagle's scream."

Toothless wasn't here, Elsa knew that he wouldn't fly again. She could only hope that one of her oldest friends would be fine without them. Hiccup was obviously thinking about that.

"I will ride, I will fly,  
Chase the wind and touch the sky,  
I will fly,  
Chase the wind and touch the sky."

...

Merida was silent now. With the water up to their waists, Hiccup chuckled. It was an odd sound in a situation like this, but Elsa could only find comfort in it.

"You know, in the eight years I've known you, I have never heard you sing."

Elsa was happy that no one could see her blush. Hiccup cleared his throat, "Where did you hear that? The song?"

The princess grimaced in the dark, "My... Mother, used to sing it to me."

She could feel Hiccup's sudden rigid posture, before he drew her in closer.

Rapunzel sniffled, "This is all my fault."

Hiccup sighed, "No Rapunzel. We would have perished in the water had we stayed out there. You did the right thing, it just... didn't workout."

Elsa could hear a quiet mourning tone in Rapunzel's voice, "No. If I... If I hadn't left my tower, this wouldn't be happening."

The princess of Arendelle wanted to comfort her, she truly did, but Elsa did see some truth in these words.

The group sat in silence for a moment, as the seconds ticked by. Finally, Merida broke the silence.

"Elsa... yeh mentioned yer Mum... Ah never really kne' yeh. Then again, yeh donnae 'now much abou' meh."

With a noticeable sigh, the water shifted.

"Ah'm... Ah'm a Scottish princess, Ah was next in line fer the throne. Ah was supposed to beh married, bu' ah refused. Mah Mum... she, she brok' mah bo', an' ah left... Withou' yeh, ah woul' nae die in the presince o' frien's. Thank yeh."

Elsa could only think of one thing to say. She might as well, considering their demise was imminent.

"I am... I was the next in line for the throne of Arendelle. My-" Elsa paused, should she really say it?

'Conceal, don't feel.' Her Father repeated. She remembered those nights when her parents would argue about denouncing her birthright. She remembered Hiccup's Dad and his rejection in his former village. But she knew that it wouldn't matter; Merida deserved to know.

Attempting to come up with an explanation, Elsa was almost relieved when Flynn piped up.

"Wait, you mean... Queen Elsa, of Arendelle. The Witch queen?"

Hiccup growled, and while it was touching, it wasn't helping. Attempting to lighten the situation, Elsa tried for some humor. "So... That's what they're calling me."

She could feel Flynn's gaze. "So did you really try to kill the Duke of Weselton?"

Elsa's eyes widened; she never meant to hurt anyone.

Oddly, Flynn didn't seem to care. "To be honest, I never liked that guy. It's a shame that you didn't finish the job. I thought the powers were a myth, but with some many officials backing the claim..."

...

The last thing Hiccup needed was to being dealing with more of the international royal community. And although he agreed with the thief, the viking didn't need anymore enemies.

Merida clenched his arm tighter, as if it were a lifeline. "Wha' powers... are yeh mad?"

Elsa sighed, "I can control ice and snow. Hiccup calls it a blessing, but it hasn't brought any good."

Hiccup shook his head, "No. Elsa, that's not true-"

Elsa cut him off. "No! No, it is true. Had I not been born with these powers, I would have everything; my sister would be with me, my parents would love me, I'd be normal."

Hiccup sighed, "I thought we went over this. You can't change who you are."

Having garnered everyone's attention, Hiccup sighed again. Out with it, as his Father used to say.

"I of all people should know that. Three hundred years and I'm the first viking who wouldn't kill a dragon. I mean, who had ever heard of such a thing."

Merida tensed next to him; Hiccup could only recall his tribes history. Viking invaders who were more then happy to gorge themselves on the riches of Scotland. Merida had every reason to hate him. But she didn't draw away.

Flynn chuckled darkly, "Kid, I don't really know what you're talking about. The vikings are dead."

Hiccup grinned forlornly in the dark. "Not yet, there's still a tribe up north; Berk. The dragons tend to keep us isolated."

Silence meet his ears.

Finally, Flynn sighed, "Eugene."

...

Flynn's heart was pounding, he didn't want to die just yet. He had come so far, this couldn't be it. When everyone began to talk, Flynn knew that it would soon be his turn. As the water rose to his neck, Flynn sighed.

"Eugene."

Without a reaction, Eugene Fitzherbert continued.

"My name is Eugene. Might as well say it; at least someone will know it before we all drown."

Someone squeezed his hands; a soft, innocent squeeze. Rapunzel's voice was borderline angelic, nothing could be said in denial of this fact. "I like Eugene, it's a lot nicer then Flynn Rider."

Eugene scoffed; Everyone liked Flynn Rider. But perhaps, this wasn't so bad. Sure they were going to die, but these people were... friends.

Eugene liked that term. Friends.

With the water rising to his chin, Eugene sighed. "Okay... Does anyone have anything else to say?"

Rapunzel sniffled, "I have magic hair that glows."

That was not what Eugene was expecting. Suddenly, Rapunzel let out a shriek of surprise, "I-I have magic hair that glows!"

With a sudden surge of moisture, the water rose to their eyes and Flynn was struggling to breath.

"Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine!" Rapunzel sang with a clear sense of urgency.

...

Jack clenched his eyes shut. The cold, dark feeling was eerily familiar. His journey had started under a freezing lake, waterlogged and dead. And now, it would end in a similar way.

A thin glow shined, startling the winter spirit. That wasn't possible, they were in a cave... unless.

Slow understanding dawned on him and he wrenched his eyes open. All around him, his friends looked on in shock at Rapunzel's many locks of hair, which happened to be glowing. Thankful, Jack looked down and saw a thin spout of water descending into the cavern floor. An exit.

Paddling downwards, for the winter spirit was never a fan of water, he began to dig away with unparalleled fury, clawing at the rocks. Soon, everyone else caught on. While their combined efforts were making progress, the glow Rapunzel's hair was slowly dying out. They weren't going to make it.

A shrill scream echoed around them, and ever under water Jack's hair stood on end. Someones hand pulled him away from the cavern floor. As Jack's let out his final breath, a fierce explosion filled the cavern, and everything went white.

...

Gasping for breath, Hiccup barely managed to make it to the surface. Someone grabbed his arm, Rapunzel. Something was clambering onto his back, Jack. With a final bout of strength, Hiccup kicked off the bottom of what appeared to be a river. Elsa was helping Merida to shore, the Scot was in shock. Flynn-no, Eugene, was swimming after something. The chameleon, Hiccup had forgotten about him. They had made it. Drifting down the fast flowing river, his friends clenching him like a lifeline, a familiar mismatching tail snagged on his armor.

Toothless had returned. And Hiccup had never been more glad to see his friend.

...

**A.N. Update! I've posted and I've been meaning to ask. Oh, and did anyone see the poll on my profile, about Jack and Merida? I need to make a choice soon.**

**Later on, this series will have more Rise of the Guardians elements. By which Pitch and the guardians might make an appearance. So I've been meaning to ask, should I bring in Mavis from Hotel Transylvania? Anyone? I could pull it off without much trouble.**

**As for another update, I still haven't started on the next chapter, it's literally 11:45 pm and I wake up at 5:30... so yeah, hope you guys like the chapter!**

**-Ipods-And-Buds-1239**


	8. Chapter 8

**Band of Misfits Taking flight chapter 8**

**A.N. As of now, I've reached my first 100. In terms of favorites, followers or reviews, I've finally surpassed the triple digits! Hence, a longer chapter. I'll be answering reviews via private message, but guest reviews will be answered in chapter.**

**Let me make this clear. I was really stupid last chapter. When I proposed the idea of bringing in Mavis, I meant as a cameo. So... yeah. Either way, I think I'll just leave it be.**

**Enjoy the chapter! And thanks for all the reviews, favorites, follows and advice; may the odds be ever in your favor!**

...

Hiccup's arms hung limply at his sides as he hauled himself onto the river bank. Not a single thing had broken the silence, save Toothless's concerned crooning and the whispering of their would-be killer. Shaking his head, Hiccup could hear it. The trickle of water. It really could have killed them. In all of his death defying experiences, this took the metaphorical cake. He fingered his hatchet, and the memories of his Mother came to mind. He had been so close to seeing her. But no, not yet.

Slowly sitting up, Hiccup could see Eugene curled into a fetal position. Rapunzel was reclining against a tree, Jack hanging limply on the highest branch. That little chameleon was stretched out in just one of the many golden curls that the teenager had, and Hiccup wasn't content with himself to forget that member of their party. He had a feeling that Pasquelle the chameleon was to Rapunzel like Toothless was to him. Resolving to keep a closer eye on the tuckered out reptile, Hiccup meet eyes with Elsa.

She was kneeling over Merida. As the princess of Scotland caught her breath, Elsa gave him an exhausted, but releived smile. They were safe, for now.

Using Toothless to steady himself, Hiccup rose to his feet. Looking towards the sky, he could see that everything was covered in a honey sweet glow; the sun was setting. They were close to Corona, but it wouldn't hurt to rest a while. After that experience, it was completely justified.

With practiced ease, Hiccup stumbled off to find firewood, trusting that his friends would be careful enough to avoid another situation like the one they had just avoided.

...

Rapunzel was shaking her head; they had made it. Looking around, her friends were alright and everything was falling into place. At this rate, they would be in town by nightfall. Until she realized that that would not be the case. The temperature was already dipping; it would be quite the walk.

Meeting everyone's eyes, she couldn't find Hiccup. That was strange, he wouldn't be the one to wander off, judging from what she knew about him. A stumbling behind her informed her of the viking's return. Strange, that he was a viking. She hadn't heard much about them, and the history books only said so much.

Whatever the case, Hiccup was Hiccup; he was a friend and nothing was going to change that.

As he tossed a pile of dry tinder onto the ground, she still couldn't believe it. They were okay.

And now everyone knew about her hair. What would Mother think?

...

Eugene was in shock. Despite the fact that they had just made it out of what very well could have been their end, all that was on his mind was the glowing hair. Sure Elsa could control ice, but this was his first encounter with something like this; cut the thief some slack.

Taking a knee, he almost fell over in a heap. Thankfully, Rapunzel had caught him. Looking around, he could see that Hiccup was already unpacking some things. That boy was made of other-worldly things.

Looking around, Eugene could notice a few things. A couple trees were felled in a circle, and some boulders shielded them from view. A natural hiding spot away from the prying eye. They could stay here. There was already a fire going, that dragon was a godsend in weather like this.

Stumbling over to the pit that offered warmth, the thief collapsed next to the girl with the magic hair. Perhaps this wasn't so bad.

...

Hiccup rummaged through his bag, pulling out their food stores. It was minuscule to say the least; they were trying to pack lightly. Nonetheless, it would make due for one meal. Passing out some assorted nuts and berries, he looked around. All of their little band was collapsed around the fire pit, the flames flickering across each and every face in the circle.

Falling back, Toothless was more then willing to provide a temporary support. Someone sat next to him. It was Elsa. And suddenly, all was right in the world.

...

As Eugene helped himself to the hospitality of his friends, he couldn't help but wince. In that frantic initial bid for freedom, he had cut his hand. Already a bloody jagged tear came into existence. Elsa looked at him with... was that concern?

She nudged Hiccup, who mutely turned and pulled a small leather pouch out of the saddle that resided on Toothless. As he walked over, Eugene shook his head.

"I'm okay, really."

Hiccup had knelt and was already shaking his head. "No your're not. This is pretty bad."

Eugene's attitude was descending. "Can't you fix it?"

The viking shook his head, "I need medicine. I'm only carrying bandages."

Rapunzel cleared her throat.

...

'Might as well tell them.' Rapunzel thought. It wouldn't hurt, would it?

"Perhaps I can help."

Slowly standing, she couldn't help but stumble. Her knees were shaking but her heart held strong. Gently pushing Hiccup aside, Rapunzel took a handful of hair. While Flynn looked at the substance with a mixture of confusion and hesitation, he didn't do anything to move away. This had to work. Wrapping her sun-kissed hair around his wounded hand, Rapunzel took a seat next to the thief.

By now, everyone had given up what they were doing to watch this spectacle. Jack slowly nodded, the encouragement helped.

With a sigh, she began the song she had repeated too many times to count.

"Flower, gleam and glow.  
Let your power shine."

Rapunzel's hair began to glow and Flynn was not taking it well. Hiccup and Elsa shared a look, not a single word was said.

"Make the clock reverse.  
Bring back what once was mine."

The clearing was beginning to glow and the fire grew a bit brighter. Jack had always said that her powers were a gift.

"Heal what has been hurt.  
Change the Fates' design."

Flynn's hand was slowly taking on a different pallor, and the thief was looking perplexed.

"Save what has been lost.  
Bring back what once was mine."

The light slowly began to dim and Merida was shaking her head. But silence continued to overwhelm every inhabitant around the fire.

With a sigh, Rapunzel began to unravel her hair. Looking around, she tried a smile, "What once was mine."

...

Hiccup's day was beyond imagination. Only one thought could sum up his feelings about this turn of event. This was officially out of his hands.

Everyone seemed to be staring at Eugene, or to be more precise, his hand. A hand, that had originally been scarred, now healed. Hiccup's mind reeled with possibilities, what else could that "wonder-hair" do? But before he could ask, Eugene began to hyperventilate.

Opening his mouth, the thief seemed to be incomprehensible. Until Rapunzel grimaced, "Please don't freak out!"

...

How anyone could fail to freak out was beyond Eugene's understanding. Why was no one, save him, freaking out?

Holding his stricken expression, he couldn't help but notice the way Rapunzel looked in the moonlight. She really was pretty. If only she was a brunette.

The thief cleared his throat, this was going to get sappy. The only reaction from anyone else in the group was Hiccup's tending of the fire.

...

"So... how long have you been able to do... that?" Eugene asked slowly, almost reluctant to break the question.

Everyone was still staring at Rapunzel and she seemed to be uncomfortable. And that made him uncomfortable. Might as well try to alleviate some of the tension.

She looked at him and smiled shyly. "Well... ever since I could remember. Mother makes me do it on a regular basis."

No one, not even Rapunzel, failed to notice the pained expression Jack showed.

Rapunzel glanced at her friend, before turning back to stare into the fire. Such a warm, innocent, fickle thing; one that, once out of control, would overwhelm everything.

"So, Eugene huh?" Rapunzel said, but it was more of a question.

Eugene shrugged, "Well, I'd love to regale you all with the tale of Eugene Fitzherbert, but it's a bit of a downer."

Hiccup looked around, "No offense, but we don't really have the happiest life stories."

With a bitter chuckle, the viking stroked his dragons head. Eugene would never be able to get over how tame that animal acted. But the thief digressed.

Might as well say it, they'll pester him until he told them. Sighing with exasperation, Eugene raised his hands for effect.

"Okay."

...

"There was storybook I used to read. A long time ago. It-It was the only thing I had to remember my parents, they had given it to me. Most of the kids at the orphanage were illiterate, so they would turn to me. Reading "The Swashbuckling Tales Of Flynn Rider the Rouge," tended to be the highlight of the evening for the rest of the orphans. I would tell a new story every night."

Not even Merida was scoffing, so he decided to continue. "Rider was everything; he had money, power... not to shabby with the ladies either." He nudged Rapunzel, and was glad when he elicited a blush.

"And... And for a kid with nothing, it-it was nice to imagine a better life."

Only the ambiance of nature answered him.

"So... I took the life of a thief, stole what I needed and adopted a new name. What else do I need to say?"

...

Merida sighed loudly, startling everyone. "Mah name's Merida DunBroch. Ahm... a princess from th' Scottish nations."

Eugene smiled sadly, "Well you really don't act like one."

Instead of the glare he was expecting, he got a smile. A smile from the lady who had hated him from their unusual introduction. What was this world coming too?

"Mah Mothe'. She was th' epitom' o' royalty. An' as 'er daughter... Ah needed to pas' on th' traits. So sh' trained meh up and tried ta'h marry meh off."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, "Tried?"

Merida only stared into the fire. "Yeh. Tried."

For a moment, the princess paused and Eugene could only glimpse the true Merida. A strong exterior hiding so much pain. It made the thief feel bad of his earlier treatment of the princess.

Drawing a shaky breath, she continued. "Ah' said no, she... took thin's away. An' ah left."

She gave Elsa a small smile, "Ah-ah met you guys, an' ah have no' looked back."

The regret was almost palpable in her voice.

...

Only the fire flickered, it's crackling the only form of relief for Eugene. It was comforting.

"Toothless" was snoring, the mighty reptile was dead to the world; so to speak. Elsa was leaning against her friend.

Turning to her, Eugene decided he needed answers. If Elsa was what the Duke of Weselton called her, she was dangerous. But her attitude contradicted everything the ruler said. The thief wanted all the pieces to the puzzle before he made his final judgement.

Merida was now playing with her bowstring, but her attention was on Elsa.

"Elsa, ah know it's 'ard, bu'... What stories can yeh' tell?"

...

This was it. Hiccup knew that Elsa had been dreading this moment. And to be honest, so was he. But she needed him, and he wasn't going to shrug away.

She tensed and the viking picked up on it immediately. Hiccup squeezed his hand; he was here.

Slow and shallow, she looked everyone in the eyes.

"What-What do you know of Arendelle?"

...

Eugene cleared his throat. "It's a kingdom to the north, where the Vikings once were. It's one of Corona's closest allies. The rulers have two daughters." Elsa's stone-cold expression failed to show any emotion, "The first one... well, you said it yourself, nearly killed the Duke of Weselton and the other monarchs present at one of the balls."

Hiccup glared, "She was provoked."

Elsa gave him a look. "That is all true. Well, apart from the killing of the duke."

Eugene knew where this was going on; another story.

Looking up, she gave a morose look. "I had an... accident, I guess you could say. Me and my sister used to play when we were younger. With my powers."

Jack instantly perked up; the boy had been unnaturally silent, to the point where it had been unsettling. "The thugs... they looked at you. Like they knew you."

Elsa glanced at him, "Well, if what Eugene said happens to be true, they probably do."

Jack frowned, "They couldn't see me. But when I did my thing with the staff... can you really control winter?"

Elsa looked down. In a tone that did not suit her at all, she growled. "I could never control it."

The temperature plunged and the fire began to die. Toothless shifted in his sleep, an uncomfortable look on his face. Hiccup put a hand on her shoulder.

Slowly, she exhaled and the odd bout of weather returned to what it should be. And yet Eugene continued to shiver.

"I hurt my sister. And while she was healed, it was my fault. It couldn't control myself, and she paid the price. So I removed myself from the situation... For fifteen years, I didn't see anyone."

Glancing at Hiccup she paused, "Save you. You wouldn't leave."

Hiccup smiled slightly, "I'm a viking, we have stubbornness issues."

...

Momentarily getting over Elsa's little episode, Eugene sighed, "I'm almost afraid to ask."

Hiccup darkened slightly, "I'm a viking from the island of Berk."

Jack looked at him with an odd expression, "What's a viking?"

Every single person looked at him oddly, save Rapunzel.

The boy shrugged, "Hey, history just isn't something I'd prefer to spend my life doing. I'm all snowballs and fun times."

Hiccup's gaze lingered on the boy for a couple moments, before he began his tale.

"Vikings are from the north... some would say too north. Hence the term "Norse Man." They happen to be the worst raiders, plunderers and a bunch of other things that have failed to boost our reputation in the good kind of way. Eventually, the rest of the world became fed up. They banded together and gave us two ultimatums; settle down... or die."

Hiccup laughed, but the tone was anything but amused, "Well... when your whole life is focused on fighting, it's hard to leave. Every single viking settlement, from freezing to death to the BogBurglers... gone. Berk is the only remaining viking tribe."

Smiling slightly, the inventor continued, "We are still around for a reason; Berk did always have the best warriors and generals. Our location is the furthest north of all the tribes, and then there's the dragons."

Eugene turned to Toothless. The reptile was completely pacified, without a care in the world. It was odd in almost every way.

Hiccup began to scratch the dragons chin, "Eventually, we lost contact with the rest of the world. And with our loss of focus, our attention turned to the dragons."

Looking down, the viking was hesitating, "Every viking in, well, ever, has been taught that dragons are the enemy. And I'm no exception. But compared to the other children, I'm not exactly raider material. I'm tall and lanky now, but when I was still there... I didn't look anything like my dad..."

He looked at Elsa, "Remember when you met him, at the ball?"

She nodded slowly, "Stoick the vast?"

Hiccup shrugged, "Like it or not, I'm not vast, I'm not a fighter. I don't spill Nadder guts or mount Gronkle heads on the family spear. And that made me different."

Hiccup poked around the fire. "Viking don't like different, so guess what? I was rejected. Most people like me would be shipped off. But me? No, I'm the son of the chief, the heir to leadership. Like it or not, I was supposed to stick around."

The viking took a deep breath and stared at Toothless's tail. And for the first time, Eugene could take a closer look at the odd contraption. Half scale, half leather, it was a hodge-podge of metal and dragon. It was elegant, but oh so wrong at the same time.

"You see," Hiccup began, startling the thief, "I wanted to fit in. I did everything I could. I took a blacksmith job, I tried to learn about weapons... I made things. Catapults, bola launchers, weapons to take down a dragon, since I couldn't do it on my own. And one night, I did just that. And Toothless paid the price."

Eugene couldn't tear himself away. "I found him in a clearing, just like this one. He was tied up. I planned on killing him, and then he woke up. He looked at me, and I looked at him."

Hiccup seemed to be thinking about what to say next, "I-I had a knife, and Toothless was the first of his kind to be trapped. If I killed him, I would live on in viking-lore forever; Hiccup, slayer of the Night-Fury."

Rapunzel looked him in the eye, "So why didn't you kill him?"

Hiccup stared at her with utmost certainty. "He was just as scared as I was. I looked at him... and I saw myself."

No one said anything, and Hiccup let that sink in.

Finally, he cleared his throat. "Shortly after that, I left. I packed up, set off to the south. Where I crashed into Arendelle.

...

There was no particular focus for the group, and for Hiccup, it was maddening. The viking shared a look with Elsa, before squeezing her hand again. The silence was not comforting.

Finally, Merida chuckled. Slowly, almost uncertainly, she grew in volume, until it became a chortle. Erupting into a laugh, the princess snorted.

Finally getting a hold of herself, she smiled slightly, "Who would'a thou' tha' mah friend... should've been mah wors' enemy."

She smiled towards the viking, who was all to happy to return it. "'iccup. Ahm no' going tah 'ate one o' mah only friends in this world for bein' from a place."

She turned to every other person in the clearing, "Elsa, Rapunzel? Okay, tis a littl' odd, bu' tha' doesnae change' oo' yeh are. We're all oo' we are."

Rapunzel smiled slowly, "Really?"

Merida grinned. And that was some of the best news Hiccup had received all day.

...

While Flynn Rider would have been all to willing to run, this was not the case with Eugene Fitzherbert. These people were people. They had pasts, hopes, dreams... They were like Eugene. And for a guy with few friends, the longing for companionship was too strong. While it was sappy, the thief decided that it would be "beneficial" to stick around. He'll finish taking them around Corona. And after that, maybe he could tag along with Hiccup's little clan.

Whatever the case, he had his first friends. And he was going to stick around.

Shrugging, Eugene chuckled. These people were going to be the death of him.

But he wouldn't miss it for the world.

...

Hiccup glanced around the clearing; everyone was chattering happily. With the exception of three people. Elsa was relaxed, but still cautious. It was irritating, the fact that she could never truly be at peace. But she was obviously drifting off. The night sky was blackened now, and Hiccup could only wonder where the time had gone. Either way, their only source of warmth was beginning to die; they would need more fire wood.

Jack was still perched on a tree branch. Silent, the boy seemed to be sleeping. But Hiccup knew otherwise.

"Hey Jack!"

The boy perked up.

"We need to get some more fire wood, want to give me a hand?"

Shrugging, the boy floated down from his perch, and Hiccup would never be able to get that graceful movement out of his head. It was so unnatural, but right at the same time.

Elsa slowly rose to her feet, smiling.

With that, a party of three exited into the underbrush.

...

Walking through the woods at night was natural for Hiccup. He had done it many times before. While Merida and Elsa slept, he felt himself responsible for their safety. There were many times when the viking thought of himself as nocturnal. And to be honest, if someone else claimed him to be so, he wouldn't be confident in declaring it false.

Jack seemed to be thinking about something. As if he were dancing around a delicate topic.

Hiccup wanted to help the boy; truly he did. The Jack had not said anything more then a brief interlude from the time of their departure from Rapunzel's tower to their near-death time in that cavern. Facing mortality was a bonding experience; perhaps it would do Jack some good, by bringing up his past. Of course, if it was a painful subject, the viking was understanding of any possible rejection he faced.

"So..." Hiccup began "You can fly?"

The winter spirit jumped, before regaining his peace and slowly smirking, "Yeah, it's pretty cool."

Hiccup shrugged, "No offense, but I don't think that's... normal."

Jacks grin only grew, "I can control the winds, the snow, pretty much everything."

Hiccup shared a look with Elsa, before raising an eyebrow, "Was there a time when you couldn't do it?"

Jack stopped. By now, they were in a small area full of fallen trees. Perfect for fuel, but no one noticed.

"That's the thing," Jack said quietly, "I don't know."

...

Hiccup looked puzzled, and that did not appear to be a good sign. And with Elsa in a similar state, Jack's hopes of discovering his past were waning.

He had hoped that the wise viking, however savage his society was considered to be, could crack the mystery that was his past. And Elsa was a princess, she had to know something. Everyone remembered their friends. Their hopes, dreams, their lives; everything was in their reach. Their families.

"Define "I don't know." Hiccup said, scratching his chin.

The winter spirit shrugged, "As in, after a certain point about... 120 years ago, give or take a few days, I've been able to recall everything. But before that..."

Jack scratched his head and twirled his staff, coating everything in a thin frost.

Hiccup picked up a couple stray logs, "And yet you have a name."

The viking was unperturbed by the fact that Jack had claimed to be over 120 years old. But as he and Elsa had said earlier; they had seen weirder.

Elsa raised an eyebrow, "What _do_ you remember?"

...

"Darkness. That's all I could remember. It was so dark. So, so cold. But then, there was a light. It was blinding. A voice told me to come up. It was a perfect voice, I couldn't help myself. When I reached the surface, I was holding my staff. My hair was white, I wasn't wearing any shoes. And then the voice spoke again; it called me Jack Frost."

Hiccup and Elsa had taken Jack's story with utmost care, to the point where it was unsettling. But he hadn't said anything, so the winter spirit continued.

"It was the moon. He said that I was a winter spirit, that my job was to protect a flower. With whatever form it happened to take. I didn't realize that that would lead to me meeting Rapunzel."

Hiccup shared a curious look with Elsa before turning back, "What flower?"

Jack hesitated, but these people had proven to be nothing if not trustworthy. He could trust them with this secret. "There was this flower, it had healing properties. I was supposed to protect it, but someone found it. This lady named Gothel was using it to stay young forever. But then, the queen of Corona became sick, and I happened to see some guards coming by so..."

The winter spirit casually tapped a nearby flower bush, freezing it solid. Elsa winced slightly, and Jack felt a little twinge in his chest. The accident ringing in his ears, the boy resolved to keep the frost magic to a minimum.

"The queen used it to become better, and she had Rapunzel..."

Hiccup's eyes were growing wide.

"And then Gothel stole the child and-"

"Wait a moment." Hiccup raised his hands, "You mean to tell me that Rapunzel is the lost princess?"

With the utmost seriousness, Jack tried for a smile, "What?"

...

Elsa's look seemed to bore into the boys chest, making him uncomfortable. And Hiccup was all too familiar with that glance.

"The lost princess." she said slowly, handing her small stack of foliage to Hiccup. The viking took it without complaint.

She glanced around, "The lost princess happens to be the reason we are all here. The lantern festival is in her honor. She's been lost for over 18 years, and every year on her birthday, they light the night sky in an attempt to bring her home."

Jack paused, "It's Rapunzel's birthday tomorrow."

Hiccup was slowly connecting the pieces; this Gothel person had stolen Rapunzel in order to use her powers. Locking her away, she's never left the tower, the adopted Mother has told her stories about the outside world in order to control her. No wonder she had never left. It was sickening to say the least. Rapunzel didn't deserve a life like that.

One look from Elsa, and he knew that they had reached the same conclusion.

"Jack, if what your're saying is true, then Rapunzel is in danger."

Any mischief in the boys eyes immediately diminished, Jack Frost took on a completely serious face. "What do you mean."

Hiccup sighed, "She's a lost royal with a large ransom for her safe return. Any smart thug could blackmail the royals for much more, seeing as she's the only heir. And then there's the hair. If it truly grants immortality, then Rapunzel will never be free if she's captured. She needs to go home."

Jack's grip on his staff tightened, "I-I can't let her go back to Gothel."

Elsa smiled slightly, "Gothel doesn't deserve a daughter like Rapunzel. We'll bring her home; to her real parents."

Hiccup slowly eased them back on the path towards their campsite.

The viking sighed slightly, "But here's the thing, if she's lived with Gothel for this long, and she's as manipulative as you say, then she'll be ding every thing in her power to keep Rapunzel hidden. We need to make sure that Rapunzel can choose, without a bias.

Elsa nodded, "We can take her around the city, and present the idea to Rapunzel. She can choose to either return to the tower, or we can try and organize a meeting with the royals."

Jack nodded slowly, but he was frowning.

Elsa slowly clasped his hand, like a Mother to a child. Uncharacteristically warm, she gave his arm a squeeze.

Jack took a deep breath. "If she does go back to her parents, her true parents... will I be able to see her?"

Elsa's smile only grew. "Jack, your're worrying a little too much. Rapunzel would be in a castle, safe from harm. You could visit her at anytime; nothing will change. At least, nothing will change for the worse."

Jack smiled slightly, "What about you guys? What are you going to do after this?"

They stopped, and Hiccup looked at Elsa. "You know, he does have a point... what are we going to do, after the lanterns?"

...

Biting her thumb, Elsa finally came upon a conclusion. "To be honest, I believe that after a year of traveling, some downtime is overdue."

Hiccup grinned, before adjusting his workload, "I would not be opposed to that. I haven't a full night of sleep in... forever."

Jack's mood improved significantly; his friends would be safe, and everything would be perfect.

Walking down the path, Jack's musings were interrupted.

A frail shriek pierced the night sky.

Without a word, the three adventurers dropped their bundles and took off, in the direction of camp.

...

Toothless was growling at the tree line, bearing menacing snarl worthy of making any grown man tremble. Eugene was holding something, beside himself. Merida had her bow drawn, an unfortunate tree sustaining an impalement from a feathery projectile just a few feet away. The Scot was seething. And in the middle of it all, wrapped up in dragons wings, was a shaking Rapunzel, with red eyes and a runny nose. Clearly, something had happened.

Jack was already walking towards Rapunzel, checking her over. Physically she was fine, save a small red vice-like hand pattern on her arm. Something had grabbed her, violently. Hiccup looked around, and finally made his way over to Merida.

"What happened?"

The princess stomped over to her latest forest victim, savagely removing her arrow from the towering pine. "'Er Mum, tha's what."

The Mum had found them. She had tried to take Rapunzel. Merida had given a warning shot... but what about Eugene?

Elsa was trying to gather his attention, but the thieves focus was only on one thing. The all too familiar satchel resting in his lap.

...

The key to a better life lay in Eugene's lap, and every fiber in his body told him to run away, to find a boat and to collect his paycheck. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. Slowly, he looked up at Elsa. She was giving him a wary look. A sniffling sound caught his attention.

Rapunzel was crying. And at that moment, the thieves mind was finally made up.

Slowly rising, he handed the bag to the princess, before walking over to the girl that had managed to infatuate him in a record period of time.

...

Wrapping his arms in an embrace around the trembling girl, he couldn't help but feel a little bit awkward. When she started to strain, Eugene gave her some space. Her look of appreciation made everything better, but Rapunzel shook her head.

"Mother knows best."

...

It was official, the gods hate him. This drama was killing Hiccup. But, as this was life, he needed to step in.

Kneeling down, he placed an arm on the shoulder of the person that could very well be the next royal of Corona. "Parents don't always know what's best."

The girl looked up at him. Hiccup took that as a sign to continue.

"True parents, real parents, will always have your best interests at heart. But somewhere along the line, something goes wrong."

Glancing at Eugene, Hiccup smiled, "A little rebellion is never wrong."

...

They spread out the blankets, and took whatever place seemed most comfortable. For Hiccup, it was in a tree, watching over everyone. Jack had taken a similar perch, but the boy was fast asleep. He needed it. Originally, Hiccup's first inclination would be to make a straight path to Corona, but it was too late. Even with Eugene, they would most likely become lost.

Looking around, the viking reclined. The moon slipped through the branches, like grasping hands. It was unrelenting, and Hiccup could only remember Jack's tale.

"A voice from the moon..." the inventor mused.

Was there really someone on that planet? For whatever reason, he was not to be trusted. Jack may have fawned over his "guardian," but Hiccup would reserve his judgement.

Toothless shifted to look at something in the underbrush, despite the fact that many assumed him asleep. He was growling. In the darkness, a silky flash of crimson appeared, but it was fleeting. That must have been Gothel. Meaning that none of them were safe. This would be a long night.

But Hiccups mind was set; these were his friends, and they were his priority.

Glancing down at Elsa, he smiled.

The bedhead was quite amusing. Not that he watched her sleep, goodness that would be awkward. But he couldn't help the passing glance. It was as if something possessed the platinum locks every night. Even in a bun, something caused it to look like Toothless had shot a plasma blast. She snored, and drooled. It was endearing, the exact opposite of the picture of grace that the princess portrayed when she was awake.

A small bout of movement caught Hiccup's attention. Pasquelle slowly crawled onto the vikings palm. The reptile was small; smaller then a terrible terror. But that wary glance revealed everything, the chameleon was intelligent.

Hiccup pulled out a small berry; his last bit of food. The reptile was all to eager to accept the portion. Scratching Pasquelles' small head, things were comfortable. Almost immediately, the lizard entangled itself in the mans hair, and drifted off.

Sharing a glance with Toothless, Hiccup took out his knife, and began to fiddle.

Yes, it would be a long night.

...

**A.N. Long chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. Maximus will be returning in the next chapter. Hopefully, some Elsa/Rapunzel/Merida bonding over chocolate. Just a little fun fact; there is in fact _chocolate_ in the canon How to Train your Dragon universe. The SnapTrapper dragon (the four headed one, not to be confused with the Zippleback) uses a special scent, Hiccup claims it to be chocolate, to attract prey. Check out the "Book of Dragons" special if you don't believe me.**

**I'm not even going to try to give you guys an estimation as to when the next chapter will be posted. But there will be one... eventually.**

**-Ipods-And-Buds-1239**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 Band of Misfits**

...

**A.N. An update, A La Mode. Slightly lighter, this is mostly setting the scene for some other things I'd like to cover. Fluffiness galore for all that enjoy that kind of stuff. Slightly less Merida and Jack, but I assure you that they will have their spotlight in the next chapter.**

...

Eugene's ideal start to the day would be simple; wake up on his own time, in a nice warm bed, on an island that he owned. Not in the middle of a forest, on the cold hard ground, with a demented horse pulling on his boot in a game of tug of war with a viking and a Scot. But, this was not his ideal day.

The initial awakening was not a problem. Rapunzel had crawled over and was lying next to him, and the thief had no complaints. A heavenly smell filled the air, like smoked meat. Looking up, Merida was poking something on a spit roast. Come to think of it, that looked a lot like the rabbit they had encountered earlier. Hiccup was up in his tree, picking his nails with a knife. And Elsa... Eugene was not expecting that.

Her hair was in every direction, the princess was in a snoring, drooling heap. Toothless looked amused, and Merida caught his gaze.

She snorted, "No' th' picture o' perfection no' is she?"

Hiccup glared, and she smiled to herself. "Tho' I'm no' much bette'. An' neithe' is 'iccup, when e' actually sleeps."

Eugene groaned, and reclined back onto the ground. Little notice was given to the suddenly quiet environment. No birds gave their morning calls. No animals scurried through the underbrush. Even Toothless was silent, the dragon was peering warily into the brush. For a skilled woodsman, this could be used to identify the presence of an apex predator. Hiccup and Merida were already on their feet, weapons in hand. But Eugene was not a skilled woodsman.

Almost immediately, the thief was drifting off. Until a fierce roar filled the air and a furious panting began, just above him. Retreating from his fetal position, he looked up. And saw that, indeed, the demon of the underworld had returned.

...

Internally, Eugene was screaming. But the morning air had erased all caution.

Smiling smugly, he ignored the dripping wet stallion. "Well, I hope your're here to apologize."

Almost immediately, the animal snarled and Eugene felt his body leave the ground. Pulled along, Eugene's beautiful face was subject to pebbles, stones and gravel. He was too pretty for this.

Almost immediately, it stopped. Strong arms wrapped around his waist. Slender hands met his. Soon, a furious game of tug of war erupted.

...

The game traversed around the campsite. Eugene was dragged through the fire, resulting in a frail screaming that awoke Rapunzel. The horse wrenched slightly, sending Hiccup flying into a tree. A tree which happened to house a sleeping Jack. While he floated down last night, that grace went out the metaphorical window. As they neared a startled Elsa, Toothless finally made his move.

_SCREECH!_

...

The horse stopped dead in its tracks, and Merida was all too happy for their brief struggle to be over. Something crawled in her hair, most likely Pasquelle. Whatever the reason, she gave the stallion a stern look.

"Put 'im _down_."

The horses eyes widened, but he didn't let go. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hiccup untangling himself from the fallen branches and a very confused Jack. It was almost funny.

Pasquelle caught the stallions eyes, giving Hiccup the opportunity he needed. Wrapping his arms around Merida's waist, they pulled in unison, wrenching Eugene from his snagged boot. Placing herself between her friends and the now enraged horse, she raised her hands in a placating manner.

"Eas'i. Eas'i."

The horse glared, and moved around in an attempt to get at Eugene, but she blocked his path.

Pasquelle, who had hung on by a literal hair, was doing something on her head. Glancing between her and the little lizard, the horse finally settled, although the fierce glare toward Eugene made her all to happy.

"Eas'i... Maximus?" Merida said, glancing at his breastplate.

The horse whinnied happily, eager to be recognized. And the princess's heart clenched, he was a reminder of Angus.

The Clydesdale was in the last years of its lifetime. She had raised it from a colt when she was just a girl. And now, one of her oldest friends...

Maximus noticed her gaze. With a snort, the horse nudged the Scottish princess. She smiled, before reaching into her belt. Merida always had a store of apples with her at any time. And with friends, she was all to eager to share them.

Holding one out, Merida was surprised with the friendly behavior. Had it really been so furious just moments ago?

Grasping the snout and rubbing gently, she glanced back. Her friends expressions were priceless. Hiccup's hatchet clattered to the ground. Eugene sputtered, and the horse glared. Another thing Merida like about the horse; a shared loathing of the thief.

Rapunzel smiled, "Oh, he's nothing but a big softie!"

She walked forwards, a grin on her face. Maximus seemed to be enjoying the attention, judging from the wagging tale. While this wasn't normal horse behavior, any form of normalcy had long since ended in Merida's life.

Eugene was gasping, much like a fish out of water. "How?"

The horse snarled and tried to move forwards again, but Merida held firm. "'ey."

Finally, Hiccup cleared his throat. "This is weird."

...

Slowly, but surely, Merida smiled.

"So... ye've bin' chasin' tha' bad man, haven' yeh?"

The horse whined, nodding furiously. Hiccup was right; this horse was intelligent.

She grinned, and glanced slyly at Eugene, "Ah can see why."

The thief gasped indignantly, and the pair glared. It was in sync, and oh so intimidating.

She was beginning to like this horse. But if this noble stallion was after Eugene, then they would never make it out of this clearing. They required a guide.

"Look, we need 'im. Ah no e's no' the mos' respectable man, bu' we canno' reach Corona on our own."

The horse immediately took on a look of betrayal. It made Merida's heart wrench, but it was a necessary pain.

"If yeh could be eve' so kind, jus' let 'im take us aroun' the city fer today, and then yeh can go back teh chasin im."

Eugene was flabbergasted, "Don't I get a say in this."

The Scottish princess gave a signature death glare, silencing any protest.

The horse seemed to be mulling it over, until Rapunzel stepped forwards.

"And uh, just so you know... it is my birthday."

That effectively settled any argument. Begrudgingly, the horse shoved Eugene into the smoldering embers of their campfire, before walking down the path with a chuckling Merida at his side.

...

Eugene's face was covered in soot, belittling his reputation even further. Not that there was a reputation left. Accepting a hand from Hiccup, the thief hauled himself up. Elsa walked over and handed him a rag, something to wipe the charred remains from his pretty face.

"That horse is scaring me." Eugene muttered.

Hiccup snorted and Elsa smiled.

"Just imagine Merida riding it." the princess giggled.

And from then on out, Eugene became uncharacteristically quiet.

...

The path to Corona was short and sweet, a final stretch of just under a mile. With the bird songs echoing through the glade and Elsa beside him, Hiccup's day was already excellent. Merida had since taken to "Maximus," and the pair lead their party, chattering. It reminded the viking of him and Toothless.

Speak of the dragon, the Night Fury was certain to draw attention. He would have to stay in the woods. And while Hiccup was reluctant to leave his best friend in the woods with a kidnapping hag, it would be preferred towards having to deal with the armies of Corona. Not that they couldn't handle it; the flying duo had taken out an entire pirate fleet of seven ships in under an hour on their journey to Arendelle. In their defense, the marauders had fired first.

Either way, confrontation was to be avoided. And against Gothel, Toothless would win, hands down.

"Sorry bud, but you have to stay here."

The dragon obviously knew that this moment was coming, but that look said it all.

Elsa laughed, "Is someone jealous?"

Toothless was glaring at Maximus. The horse sneered, and Hiccup had to hold the dragon back.

Turning to look at Hiccup, the night fury raised an eyebrow.

'You're taking that horse over me?'

...

With some frantic pushes and a promise of fish, the peeved dragon retreated into the underbrush.

And Hiccup could finally take in the splendor of Corona.

A breathtaking view greeted the group. A beautiful, spiraling village dotted the slopes of a massive hill. Cobblestone streets and lamp posts showed an exceptional amount of wealth. From this distance, Hiccup could even see the Fjord. Calm waters and ships unlike any viking longboat dotted the harbor. Including a very familiar trading boat.

A long walk stretched along the coastline, made of brick. Lampposts remained unlit, and a stone barrier completed the look. It was magnificent.

Small cafes dotted the waters edge, and Hiccup's stomach rumbled. It seemed like midday, and the rabbit Merida had caught for their morning meal was currently in the clearing, covered in dirt.

Fingering his pocket, Hiccup made sure that his coin purse was secured under his breast plate.

Over the years, he had completed a variety of odd jobs. And his talent did not go unnoticed. In fact, the viking had created the current scepter that the King of Arendelle currently held in ceremony. The irony was not lost on Hiccup; the man who had isolated his best friend was carrying his work. And now he was travelling with the mans daughter. Using a payment of over 160,000 gold coins.

Currency was measured in bronze, silver and gold. Bronze coins were worth a single point of value, silver coins were worth a tithe and Gold was worth a hundred. Hiccup's current inventory was a fortune, a retirement fund. No one knew about it, and Hiccup hoped to build on it. Perhaps, someday, he could retire with Elsa. Odin's beard, that would be nice. But where?

Either way, the rest of the group had already begun to descend the sloped paved path leading into the kingdom.

...

The horse was getting on Eugene's nerves.

"Maximus" was glaring at him. The thief had just spotted a wanted poster detailing his face. Albeit, without the nose. Why couldn't they get the nose right?

If they were going into town, Eugene would need to keep his head down. Crumpling the leather paper, the thief ignored the glaring animal, before promptly stuffing it in the horses maw. The thief smirked; a little retaliation for his morning wake up. The horse, however, refused to be undone. Spitting the poster out, the world was suddenly dark.

Shaking the poster off, Eugene pushed the horse. Only for it to be returned ten fold. Soon, a fight began, until Merida arrived.

Shoving both of them aside, she smiled at the horse, before glaring fiercely and her guide. "Shut yer gob; yer drawin' attenti'n."

Sure enough, people were staring at the thief. But they didn't recognize him, despite the thousands of wanted posters littering the kingdom. And while Eugene was happy to travel without issue, it did sting; he had worked hard to earn such a reputation.

The horse looked smug at Eugene before trotting ahead. And Eugene swore that he would get his revenge.

...

Almost immediately, Rapunzel was tripping. And Eugene finally decided to address something that was digging at him.

"Okay, that's it. We need to get you some shoes. And something needs to be done about the hair."

Jack casually floated down, startling Eugene. "Yeah, shoes are overrated, so..."

Eugene glared, "But unlike you, she can't float. And your hair isn't dragging on the ground."

Jack nodded, "I can see that. So what are we going to do about it."

Rapunzel was still stumbling around. Wagons were traversing the streets, and those beautiful golden locks were snagging on every single crevice and crack imaginable. While it hadn't been much of a problem in the forest, it was certainly noticeable now. Eugene began to gather up her hair. Why couldn't she be a brunette?

Trying to think of a plan, he saw three little girls fixing their pigtails. Bingo.

Whistling, he caught their attention immediately. Their expressions were almost comical upon see the length of hair. With that settled, Eugene sighed.

"Now where are we going to get her shoes?"

Turning back, he could see a leather salesman talking with Hiccup. Merida had all but dragged Elsa towards a weapon stall and seemed attempting to persuade the princess to purchase a dagger. No offense, but the thief could not imagine Elsa carrying a weapon like that. Those powers were frightening enough.

Jack was wandering around, mostly making mischief for mischief's sake. Tapping things leisurely with his staff, the boy's namesake was covering random fountains and doors. He was drawing looks, but no one could see him. Stifling a laugh, Eugene walked up to Hiccup.

"Yeah, that's perfect."

The salesman was still trying to glance at whatever was causing the frost. And, of so subtly, Hiccup reached into his chestplate and pulled out a gold coin. A gold coin... did Eugene just see that right?

In total, the thief had stolen enough of those things to know that their production was rare and valuable. So what was a wandering viking doing with such a commodity. Handing the valuable coin to a stunned shopkeeper, who obviously wasn't expecting such a payment. After all, the viking was walking off with only a thin sheet of leather. Something that should have been a lot less expensive.

Adjusting his armor, Hiccup slid the material into his vest, before turning to face Eugene.

With a raised eyebrow, Eugene chuckled, "What's that for?"

Hiccup smiled sheepishly, "Experiment."

Eugene grinned, "Just saying a little something about most women; if you have a lot of money, and they find it, things are going to be spent."

Hiccup reddened, "I'm not rich."

Fine, so that's how the boy wanted to play it. Slowly, the thief used every skill in the book, and it worked like a charm. A thin silk sack in his hand, Eugene's mouth dropped.

Hundreds of gold coins, stacked in neat little rows. It was enough to buy a castle.

Hiccup snatched the bag back, growling. "That's not your's."

Eugene grinned savagely, "Oh, your're in trouble now. That's going to be gone in a week."

They turned back to Merida, who was carrying what appeared to be an assortment of daggers, arrows and other tools of combat in her arms. An assortment that would cost a fortune.

Hiccup shook his head, "Let's just get some shoes for Rapunzel."

And Eugene was all too happy to follow. With a Scot arming her self for war, it was wise to avoid her. Especially, when the horse was waiting outside.

...

"Aw com' on!" Merida whined.

A hundred weapons, imported directly from Scottish lands, were in her hands. Elsa was shaking her head.

"No. We don't have the money, and you know that."

The princess grumbled. "Ye ken, thes're important t'our survival. An' yeh're stoppin' us from protectin' us; is tha' wha' yeh want?"

The princess shook her head, but she was smiling. "Merida, we don't have the money. And to be honest, I don't think Hiccup could ever figure out a way to carry all of those at once, even on Toothless."

Sighing, Merida deposited the remaining tools of destruction at their various intervals on the racks, before sighing loudly.

...

Hiccup's day was decent. They had just purchased some nice shoes for Rapunzel, ones that Eugene had insisted on. And to be honest, it wasn't that expensive. Even if they were the nicest model.

And if they were going to shop, Hiccup was going to make the most of it. On Berk, the majority of their wealth came from bartering what was needed. So a currency was a welcome introduction. A familiar smell wafted through the air, and a plan formed in the viking's mind.

Chocolate.

...

Upon their return, Hiccup's arms were aching with the weight of the delightful sweet. It wasn't his favorite, of the fruits of the south it was obviously strawberries. They had been imported from the America's alongside chocolate. And while Hiccup's experience with those colonies was limited per se, he wasn't completely in the dark. Elsa would like these, that much was sure.

Eugene was brandishing a new flintlock pistol. The last thing the viking wanted to buy. But with Rapunzel carrying the frying pan, the thief had insisted. And there was little break in the fortune the viking had amassed. Their friends would be in for a surprise upon their return.

...

Merida instantly noticed a pause in Elsa's step. It was rare, that look. One of utter bliss. A peculiar, but favorable smell filled the air. Whatever it was, it smelled delicious. Apparently, Rapunzel had picked up on it too.

"What is that?"

Elsa sighed dreamily, drawing everyone's attention. "Chocolate."

And when Hiccup and Eugene stumbled into view, carrying a multitude of different things, the Scottish princess knew something was up.

...

"Why are we carrying chocolate?" Eugene asked, fiddling with the various shells in his new flintlock.

Hiccup looked at the thing with distaste, before turning back. "It's Elsa's favorite. I thought she might enjoy it."

Shrugging, the thief smiled. "Women."

Hiccup actually chuckled. "The one thing I will never be able to figure out."

Eugene smirked, "You seem to be doing quite well with a certain princess of Arendelle."

The viking sputtered, and the thief mentally sighed; how oblivious could someone be?

"Me? And Elsa? Heh." The boy airily waved a hand, before adjusting his baggage.

He paused. "Is it really that obvious?"

Eugene stopped and rubbed his face in exaggeration. "Have you seen the way she looks at you? And your're supposed to be the smart one."

Hiccup glared, rising to his full height in a mock expression of anger. The boy was taller then Eugene, but the thief was not deterred.

Until Hiccup played his trump card, "Okay, fine. I like her a lot. But at least I've got the guts to admit it; you've been dancing around Rapunzel the entire trip."

And that effectively silenced Eugene for the rest of their tirade through town, for the thief could not think of a response. Had it really been that obvious?

...

"Wha' are yeh doin?" Merida asked as the two men stumbled into the courtyard.

A baffled Eugene quickly glanced at Hiccup, before grinning triumphantly. "Did you know that your friend is rich?"

Silence engulfed everyone, as the gaze shifted to Hiccup. The viking was doing everything he could to simply unpack the various bags of sweets and chocolate.

Jack, ignoring everyone else, snatched a random box, and tentatively placed a piece of chocolate in his mouth. Finding it satisfactory, the winter spirit proceeded to down three more canisters.

"Where did you get this stuff?"

...

"Wow."

Eugene smiled as Rapunzel admired her boots. While he didn't say anything, the thief had chipped in a bit of his own coin to buy those boots.

Mind set up, Merida stood up and socked Hiccup across the jaw.

"Ow! Why would you do that?" the viking whined, while the three girls chatted with Rapunzel. Apparently, they liked the boots.

"Where were yeh when ah wanted ta' buy tha' new sword?"

Rubbing his nose, Hiccup glared. "Toothless is already carrying three people. And besides, we need to use it sparingly."

Eugene snorted, "When you've got that amount of cash, sparingly is not something to be focused on."

Elsa, still eyeing the chocolate, held out her hand. And despite a bit of hesitation, Hiccup looked down and handed her the bag.

When her eyes widened, Merida kicked the viking in the shin; if a formerly wealthy princess was in shock, then that meant this was completely justifiable.

...

With his money gone, Hiccup relinquished Merida a small pouch.

"Stop hitting me; this is your entitled share."

Still glaring, the Scottish princess opened the sack, before sharply turning on her heel and stalking off to the weapons store. Women.

Elsa was shaking her head, "When were you going to tell me about this... And where did you get all this?"

Shrugging sheepishly, Hiccup wasn't sure about what to say. "I've been saving it, for... stuff."

Elsa raised an eyebrow, "Stuff?"

Hiccup began to blush furiously. "If, we were, you know... ever going to... I don't know... settle down."

Rubbing his head, the viking was biting his tongue; what if she didn't want to settle down? What if she hated his guts... What if she wanted him to leave?

The seconds ticked by, and everything seemed to seep away.

The viking was so wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn't notice the cupping hand under his chin. But he certainly did notice the peck on his cheek.

Elsa smiled shyly, albeit under a furious blush. "I wouldn't mind settling down... but what about Merida?"

She looked happy, very happy, but pained. And it broke Hiccup's heart. He couldn't let her push him away, not after that whole debacle.

Turning back to the weapons store, where the cashier was struggling to run through all the merchandise Merida had carried to the counter, Hiccup smiled.

"We'll help her out; she's already burning through her share."

And all was right in the world, save the following horror.

...

"Excuse me?" A small, shy voice called up to Hiccup. Someone was tugging on his leg. It was one of the girls.

"I was wondering if..." She turned to her friends and giggled furiously.

Hiccup began to fill with dread. If they were here to braid hair, and they had finished Rapunzel's.

A quick glance confirmed that the blonde princess was indeed chatting it up with Eugene and Jack, the later of which was still stuffing his cheeks with chocolate; the boy loved the stuff. Rapunze''s hair was nice; a decoration of flowers and various feathers made is a beautiful sight to behold, and the locks was hanging above the ground in a thick braid.

But then... why were they talking to... Oh no.

Elsa was struggling in an attempt to hide her laughter.

Turning back to the downright chortling girl, his eyes widened as he heard those dreaded words.

"Can we braid your hair?"

...

A short time later, Eugene glanced back, and behold, comedy gold greeted him. Merida had since joined them, holding a leather bag of quite a few weapons. Where she intended to put them was beyond the thief's understanding, but so long as they were nowhere near him, it was fine.

The horse was breathing over his shoulder, but for the most part their afternoon was relaxed.

So when they observed Hiccup's peeved expression as a bantering girl created little braids just above his sideburns, Eugene began to laugh furiously. A glare that promised pain after this humiliation was on the viking's face, but Eugene didn't care.

Elsa was having her hair done as well. The other two girls had removed her bun and were now styling something entirely new. It was nice. A French braid looped over her shoulder, Elsa did a twirl, earning a reluctant smile from Hiccup. Odds were, he was still miffed about his hair; Elsa must have talked him into it. But the thief was willing to bet that he was blushing on the inside.

Merida was snorting, and Jack had all but fallen off his staff, a thin layer of chocolate gracing his face.

This day was going well.

...

With that horror done, Hiccup admired the braids. To be honest, they weren't half bad. His Dad had worn braids, maybe they could serve as a reminder. to whatever extent, that man was probably happy to have a village without the constant mishaps.

Elsa fingered one slowly, as the girls began to run home; the sky was slowly dimming. It was late in the day, it would be a while before the lantern ceremony.

Waving at their new friends, Elsa led Hiccup back to their little group.

Eugene smirked, "Hey Hiccup... would you like me to do your hair?"

Jack laughed, but it was silenced when Rapunzel shrieked.

Almost immediately, she began to speak with three men; musicians. Soon, they began a lively tune, and the unknowing princess began to draw random bystanders into the slowly growing circle of dancers.

Hiccup sighed, "I can't dance."

Jack smiled, "That hasn't stopped me from trying."

Almost immediately, Jack joined the circle, albeit without a partner. The boy seemed crestfallen but he tried to enjoy himself.

Merida sighed, before giving a questioning glance at Maximus. The horse seemed uncharacteristically quiet, but gave no protest when a bag of weaponry was heaved onto his broad shoulders. Odds were, the horse was thinking of ways to kill Eugene. Slowly. The weapons only served as an invitation to do so. Taking the boy's hands, the Scottish princess was being completely out of character. Instead of a bravado filled expression, she seemed almost... kind.

Gobber's silken undies, this day was odd.

...

Glancing at Hiccup, Eugene sighed. "The lantern festival doesn't begin for a while. If we dance now, we can have some supper before watching the lights."

Elsa and Hiccup glanced at each other. Sighing, Hiccup looked into the crowd. "Like I said before; I do not dance."

Elsa seemed just as cautious, gripping her hands tightly. Those gloves, never once had she taken them off.

But, they apparently didn't have a choice. Almost immediately, someone grasped Hiccup's hand and pulled him into the crowd. It looked like Merida.

Leaving Eugene and Elsa.

...

"So... you have ice powers."

Elsa glanced at him, before looking down. "Yeah."

The sounds of a joyous crowd failed to relieve them of silence. Eugene sighed in exasperation, "So what's the big deal?"

Elsa looked at him oddly. "My powers can hurt people; I've hurt people."

Eugene pinched the bridge of his nose. "And that's your fault. In a way, yes. But what's stopping you from taking control?"

Elsa didn't meet his eye.

"I told you this before; I could never control them. I can't settle down with Hiccup. I-I can't hurt him as well."

Only now did Eugene finish registering the princess's words; 13 years of isolation. Who knows about the side effects from that ordeal. And a new found respect for the girl filled the thieves chest.

But she still wasn't seeing it. And now, Eugene could see why Hiccup was so cautious around her. He loved her, and he wanted to stay; he didn't want to be pushed out. If they were ever going to work, Elsa would need to become confident in herself. While he wasn't a love expert like those friends of Kristoff, a friend from his various misdemeanors, he knew love when he saw. Hiccup would owe him for this.

"Look, like it or not, Hiccup's going to stick around. I wouldn't be surprised if he gave his right leg to make sure you were happy. And judging from the way you look at him, you would be willing to do the same. If you keep saying you can't control these powers, your're not going to be able to do so. If you knew the power of a negative thought, you would never have one again."

Elsa paused, before staring at Hiccup. The viking was stumbling around, switching between various partners. While his footwork was terrible, he seemed to be having a good time. They made eye contact, before smiling. It was so mushy, it made the insides of Eugene shudder. He would have to do something manly to compensate for this. Maybe he could borrow that hatchet from Hiccup, cutting some firewood could help reestablish his dignity.

Almost uncertainly, Elsa looked at him. "When did you become so wise?"

Eugene glared, "Why does everyone think I'm incompetent? I'm perfectly capable of giving an educated statement."

Smiling, Elsa did the last thing Eugene would suspect. A hug. It was odd, scandalous some would say at this time. But in this merry mood, the pure, unadulterated friendship said it all.

She smiled, before walking into the crowd, attempting to find Hiccup.

...

Eugene did not realize that he had been staring. Rapunzel was beautiful, exceptional in the fading light.

In fact, the only reason he stopped staring, was Maximus. Instead of a fierce, cruel shove, it was a gentle nudge.

The horse smiled knowingly, and Eugene could see that the horse had acknowledged his attraction.

It was official; he was infatuated with Rapunzel. Obviously, he wasn't going to do anything rash, but this entire journey had brought them close together. Perhaps, given time, something could happen.

Shaking his head, he glared at the stallion. Who began to _laugh_. This horse had some weird quirks.

And when he was shoved into the crowd by the steed, Eugene was cursing all the way.

...

Exhausted and tired, the group finally decided to retire for the night.

Hiccup had walked down the shoreline, Elsa at his side. Jack was balancing on the stone walk, ever quiet.

Rapunzel and Eugene were at the front, whispering.

Leaving the viking and the princess to bring up the rear.

...

It was nice, the cafe.

They dined on whatever they wished, and Hiccup had all the currency to pay for the job. And a generous tip ensured a warm welcome at a later date.

Jack had discovered the joys of milk; in fact, Eugene was nice enough to show him a thing or two in the way of expelling it from the nose. Merida had shown excellent table manners, and no one could miss that moment where the chameleon tried to steal some of Hiccup's strawberries. But in the end, this was just foreplay to the main event.

Hiccup's plan was simple. Jack wanted to explore the city with Merida. Obviously, racing through the streets with Maximus was a popular idea. The horse was hesitant to let the thief out of his sight, but if Rapunzel was going to accompany him, then the stallion would allow it. Said princess wanted to view the lights from the water. And Elsa... she requested that they return to Toothless.

The sky was dark now, and it would be perfect camoflage. Once the lights started, they would have a perfect view from the air. So the viking followed without complaint.

After buying only the most choicest of fish, to Toothless's delight, Hiccup and Elsa took off.

...

Doing a lap of the harbor, Hiccup was finally able to take a closer look at the castle. A towering, almost awe-inspiring structure with hundreds of rooms. Plenty of walkways lead off in various directions. It was truly a masterpiece. And at the center of it all, in the flowing courtyard, stood King Harold and Queen Lilith. Elsa's aunt and Uncle, on her Mother's side. Which lead to an interesting thought.

"You know, I just realized something."

Elsa was still gazing at the calmed waters. There, below them, in a small wooden gondola, Rapunzel and Eugene waited.

"Yes Hiccup?"

Hiccup adjusted the flight path, just to pull in to a glide, in order to ease Toothless's tired form. From what Hiccup could tell, the dragon had spent most of his day tormenting Gothel. Which was fine by him.

"If Rapunzel really is the lost princess, then that would make her your cousin."

Elsa tensed. "That's true."

Hiccup smiled, "And your Mother's sister, Queen Elinor wasn't it?"

Elsa smiled knowingly, "Making me Merida's cousin."

Hiccup chuckled, "Life is full of surprises."

...

From their view, Eugene could see Hiccup and Elsa. Faintly, to the point in which Rapunzel had to point it out. But it was nothing short of magnificent. What a view, that would be.

But at this moment, Eugene Fitzherbert would have been nowhere else, given the choice.

Rapunzel's hair practically glowed in the moonlight. She seemed beautiful. And Eugene's infatuation grew.

But that frown...

"What's shaking?"

Rapunzel sighed worriedly. It was not Rapunzel tone.

"What if they're not all I wanted them to be?"

Eugene smiled. "Remember that crown?"

Rapunzel nodded warily.

Eugene pulled out his satchel, earning a surprised look from the princess with too much hair.

"This isn't everything I wanted."

Before he could say anymore, a cheering erupted from the shore, and silence took form. Utter, unadulterated, silence. And yet that pure smile said it all.

Slowly, the first lights came into view.

...

Galloping the the streets was something Merida found entertaining. Maximus was all to willing to comply. And despite her grief for Angus, the pure freedom of riding was just to much to give up. Leaping over a barrier, the streets were practically empty. But when the lights started, everything stalled.

...

Slowly, those first few lights floated into the air. And the view was nothing short of magnificent. It was as if the entire kingdom had started to glow; thousands of lanterns took flight. Elsa gasped.

Toothless was slightly less optimistic. The lanterns were beginning to scare him.

As soon as the first one reached their current elevation, Toothless gave a weak spark. With a sharp drop, the beautiful piece of engineering plummeted downwards. It was amusing. But something distracted the viking.

A pair of slender arms wrapped around his abdomen, and a head rested on his shoulder. A contented sigh shortly followed. Elsa... was leaning on him.

Yeah, this was nice.

...

The lights were slowly surrounding Merida, and it was nothing short of spectacular. They were stunning, glowing, like the wisps of old. Jack slowly floated down next to him.

"This is amazing."

The Scot could only nod. But when she turned towards the winter spirit, his eyes caught her attention immediately.

They twinkled, like freshly fallen snow. A small snowflake rested in them, not completely opposite of Elsa's gaze. But his eyes...

Elsa's were full of pain. Hidden sorrow; maturity. Jack's eyes... they were full of innocence, joy, excitement. Fun.

Merida's heart soared when he looked at her, it was almost inexplicable. But her heart fluttered, as if she had eaten caterpillars. And in her earlier years, the princess had indeed done so.

What was this feeling?

...

If this was love, Hiccup wanted it to stay this way forever. With Toothless beneath him and Elsa beside him, everything perfect. But as always, just as a dream meant sleep, reality meant awakening.

An almost nonexistent snap echoed from Toothless's tail fin. And soon, the sky began to blur, as the wind whistled by.

...

No. No, this couldn't be happening. The Stabbingtons were waiting on the coast. And they had truly seen Rapunzel. And if there was one thing the Stabbingtons were good at... it was revenge. With Hiccup and Elsa out of sight and the demon horse on leave... this was not going to end well.

He would have to confront them. Tell them that Rapunzel was just a nobody; give them the crown and everyone could go their separate ways. This had to work.

Landing on the beach head, Eugene smiled at a surprised Rapunzel, "Would you, um... excuse me for a moment? I've, uh, got something to take care of."

Rapunzel looked surprised, but she seemed faithful. All the more reason to do this.

Giving an overly cheery salute, Eugene hopped off the boat and walked towards the Stabbingtons.

...

Merida reclined in an empty chair at the cafe, nursing a cup of ale. While Hiccup and Elsa were against all forms of liquor, she knew for a fact that he could hold his own in any contest. Her Father _had_ taught her the necessities of drinking. It was a necessity to pass on the traits to another trustworthy party. Namely Jack. And from what Merida observed, the winter spirit could not become intoxicated. And while it was fun and all, being able to taste the drink her Father was famous for, the Scottish princess was beginning to worry.

It had been a while since that light show ended; where did everybody go?

...

They were sharpening their swords, but if being around Rapunzel had taught Eugene anything, it was to look at the positives.

Smiling happily, Eugene held out the satchel. "Hey guys, oh I've been searching everywhere since we got separated back there and hey, those sideburns are coming in nicely!"

They didn't spare him a glance. Forget the positives; find the happy place.

Coughing in an attempt to fill the silence, Eugene continued. "Anyways... just wanted to say, I've had a change of heart; crown is all yours! And you know what? You can have my slice of the dough! How's that sound?"

One of the men, Brutus, finally acknowledged the thief. "Holding out on us again, eh Rider?"

Eugene's mind went blank again. What could he be holding out on- oh no.

The second brother, Cato, stalked up behind, just as Eugene's hand moved for his new Flintlock. With his arms clamped behind his back, he was helpless. Where was that dragon when you needed him?

"Truth is Flynn, we've found something slightly more valuable then that crown."

Finally reaching the thief, Brutus smiled with breath that could curl toenails. "We want her."

...

While free falling was fun and all, uncontrollable plummeting was not a pastime that Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third enjoyed. Almost immediately, their screams ceased, and the crashing of wood filled the air.

They had landed in a stable, on a soft bed of hay. A plus, certainly.

But with startled armed guards and a particularly hung over captain that had previously tried to kill the viking approaching, this situation could not get any worse.

The guards were getting closer, and Toothless was in no mood to travel. The dragon was fine physically, but completely out of it. Dazed, Toothless was attempting to rise, but it wouldn't help anything. Despite his status as a Night Fury, Toothless's ferocity had abandoned him.

Elsa was not looking well. She was covered in hay, dirt and other grimy particles. All and all an utter catastrophe. But the brief rise and fall of her chest assured Hiccup that she was alive. And with both of them alive, that made everything better.

The guards had surrounded them, and Hiccup raised his hands.

The captain from earlier raised his sword. "Who-who are you?"

That hidden fear was almost palpable, and yet highly unlikely. Where did Hiccup the Useless go?

Nevertheless.

"We're just travelers, here to see the lantern festival. My dragon, er..."

If he said crashed, and even in that state Toothless could hear him, the Night Fury would never forgive him.

"Fell... We had a malfunction. Look, we're peaceful. Can we just go out and forget about all this? I'll repair the damages and-"

"Your majesty?"

Oh no.

One of the sober guards had recognized Elsa. Meaning that things had become a lot more complicated.

"You... You're the one that kidnapped her, aren't you?"

Mutely, Hiccup nodded, "I'm not sure that kidnapped is the correct ter-"

The Captain bellowed. "Seize them!"

And in an instant, Hiccup saw stars.

...

Rapunzel's day had been the best day of her life. The _best_. So when Eugene requested a moment, Rapunzel felt that he would come back.

Now, she wasn't so sure.

But when that familiar stocky, muscular outline emerged from the underbrush, a weight seemed to have been lifted off her chest.

"Oh thank goodness, I thought you had left me-"

The "one" outline became two, as the Stabbingtons came into view.

Rapunzel's hopes were dashed, as they seized her hands.

"Let me go! Let me go!"

Almost immediately, the grip slackened, as a sickening slick floated eerily through the air. Two bodies fell to the ground. Those holes, those big, gaping holes... No.

And her "savior" gave an weary gasp.

Mother had returned.

...

**A.N. So... here we are. (If anyone can guess that reference, I'll send them internet cookies.)**

**An especially long update. And things have not ended well. Next chapter will be significantly darker. And we'll delve into the characters themselves.**

**Jack and Merida are a pain to write, but next chapter will feature them predominantly. I have no clue when I'll update again, so I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.**

**-Ipods-And-Buds-1239**


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